Nobita's Depression : Looking for a reason to live
by SirSmurgger
Summary: After another horrible day, Nobita agrues with Doraemon and concludes that he's the biggest and worst loser of all times, and decides to put an end to his life, but still wondering if he's not going to do one last good deed before leaving...
1. One Last Horrible Day

**Nobita's Depression :** Looking for a reason to live

My first Doraemon Fanfic^^

A new Monday is coming. The sun is rising up in the sky, brighter than ever, shinning like a diamond, chasing the darkness of the night and the coldness of winter, Lighting up the huge and wonderful City of Tokyo.

On this first Spring day, Japan is waking up, and everything, flowers, trees and animal, seems to be coming back to life...Everything looks so pretty !

Yet, there's something going on...Someone, usually full of energy and happiness, always smiling and ready for a new day full of playing, is suffering...Someone exceptional, someone who once saved the world, lived incredible experiences like reaching other planets, going into a magic world, fighting pirates, time criminals and even the devil himself... yet looking so ordinary, unremarkable and unappealing, and feeling so flat...

Nobita Nobi is a young 10 year-old Japanese boy who's waking up in the morning of that beautiful day. While getting ready for school, he asks his friend Doraemon, a cat-like sophisticated robot sent from the 22th century to help him getting a "better life", if he's got another "futuristic tool" that's going to avoid him being late at school again.

Doraemon : "Nobita, can't you be a little more carefull about it ? Well, let me see..."

Finally, Doraemon accepts to borrow Nobita his "Bow and Arrow " system that allows Nobita to reach his school just in time.

Nobita spends most of his time in class sleeping and dreaming, waiting eagerly 'till the end of the class. But when Sensei, the teacher, asks him to get up and tell recite the whole lesson he was supposed to learn for today, nothing comes out, not a single word, not a single breath, leaving him ridiculous and stupid, looking dumb and being laughed at by the whole class, just before being sent to stand in the hall by an enraged Sensei.

Meanwhile, Suneo, his classmate and rival, is having much fun mocking him throught the window ; even Shizuka, his love interest and probably the kindest and smartest girl he's ever met, can't help herself smiling at him.

Nobita : "Grrr, that Suneo...I really hate him ! Just wait until I tell Doraemon about it..."

But when the class finally ends, things get worse

Suneo : "Hey Nobita, Sensei gave me this paper, I think it must be for you, no one is better than you in scoring zeros in every subject ! hehehe [...]"

Nobita : "Oh you..."

Sensei : "NOBITAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ! COME HERE NOW, you better obey now if you don't want to get another harsh punishment !"

Nobita : "An...another punishment ?"

Sensei : "YES ! Nobita, I'm extremely disappointed by your silly attitude ! You don't learn your lessons nor do your homework, and then you get zeros everywhere, it's a real SHAME ! How many time will I have to tell you that you need to work hard if you want to be both useful to society and able to get a good life ! But no, you're just a freak, a stupid boy that will never learn, get out of my way ! [...]

Oh and, I want you to clean this class NOW, hurry !"

Everyone has listened carefully to every single word that Sensei yelled at Nobita, he can clearly hear all the other students leaving the school, mocking Nobita and laughing at him again.

On his own again, Nobita dries the few tears rolling on his face and cleans the class as he was told to, feeling lonely and worthless.

An hour later, he can finally leave the school. But once inside, he's taken apart by Suneo and Gian who force him to play Baseball with them...with disastrous results : Nobita fails at every attemp at doing well and ends up chased from the game, bullied and beaten by the other player, falling in a hole, getting knocked out again...

And while going back home in a hurry, he suddenly remembers that he had to go to Shizuka's so that they could work on their homework together, but he accidentally trips over a stone, falling on the ground and sending his notebook flying over the garden of Shizuka's house and breaking a window, causing her to get extremely mad at him and refusing to work with him :

Nobita : "Oh, Shizuka, please, I didn't want to do such a thing, please forgive me !"

Shizuka : "I'm sorry Nobita, but I don't want your clumsiness to cause me any more trouble ; I don't want what happened to you at school today to happen to me as well ! I'm going to work with Hidetoshi, he's more serious and motivated...Bye !"

For Nobita, it's really too much : In tears, he rushes back home and tries to get some comfort from his family, but the contrary happens :

Nobita's mom : "NOBITA ! I hope you have a good reason for not tidying your room today, it's a real mess there, and It's been 3 days now ! Why didn't you...?

Oh my, what on Earth is that ? You got a zero, again ! UNFORGIVABLE !"

She drags Nobita to his bedroom and grounds him at home :

Nobita's mom : "Now, you read and study hard, no dinner for you, no TV and NO PLAY ! And clean up this mess !" [...]

Nobita is totaly paralysed and when he finally realizes how successful he's been in getting so much trouble in a single day, he bursts into tears and wakes up Doraemon who's just having a good nap...

Nobita : "DORAEMOOOOOOOOOOOON !"

Doraemon : "Haaaaaaa ! What happens ? Nobita, you fool, you almost made my heart stop beating, what on Earth is happening to you again ?"

Nobita : *Crying like a baby* "Whaaa, Doraemon ! I just can't bear it anymore ; I'm so fed up with my annoying life ! Please Doraemon, find a way to make me feel good again !"

Doraemon : "Well, you can start working on your homework, maybe mom will see that you're serious and will be good to you !"

Nobita : "Nah, I'm too tired ! I was just about to start my nap...Hey, do you still have that Smiling Earphone ? Or maybe the Bribe Stick ? I could make mom do whatever I want with it !"

Doraemon : "No way, I won't help you into manipulating people, be a little more than a simple useless and good-to-nothing boy ! Go working and do serious and important things instead of fooling around !"

Nobita : "You are the one who's useless, you were supposed to help me ! And..."

Doraemon : "STOP THAT ! So you think I'm useless, hum ? After all I did for you, how dare you...that's too much !"

Nobita : "Hey, relax my friend, cool off ! I was kidding !"

Doraemon : "Oh no, you weren't, and I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND ! Not anymore..."

Nobita : "W...What you say ? Dor...please, I didn't mean to..."

Doraemon : "I'm going back to the future to 'relax' like you said, among my true friends ! I'll be back soon to 'help you', like you also said ! Good bye, Nobita !"

Shocked and confused, Nobita remains still as a rock, watching his former friend going away, using the time machine through the time portal inside of Nobita's desk's drawer. He first thinks about a joke, but soon has to face the truth :

He's gone...Not coming back...not like he used to be...

At this precise moment, Nobita felt an incredibly strong feeling of anger, toward him, his family, his friends...but most of all, toward himself. He spends all the rest of the day crying, moaning and blaming himself for what he is, what he did, what's going to be and what he'll do in the future that will cause Doraemon to come to his time...

Looking down in sadness, extremely ill-at-ease, anxious and full of shame, for Nobita it's like the whole world is staring at him, with one frowning eye, ready to give him the most horrible punishment even. His heart beats like he's about to die, and from this moment, Nobita helplessly watches his future changing, collapsing and drowning in the dark, like the day is about to be eaten by a gloomy night coming.

Deprived from dinner, he's got nothing to do but listening to the thunder of the severe storm covering the sky, standing still, ready to cry again...

And while getting ready for bed, he hears his parents watching TV, and the news warning the population of the arrival of an upcoming typhoon...

Nobita (speaking on his own before closing his eyes in pain) : "I'm truly sorry, Doraemon. I wish I could go back in time and make it all better again, but I think the only think I should "erase" is me. I shouldn't have been born at all. And you were right...I'm useless, bad, selfish, stupid, worthless...and a hopeless loser !

I want to die !"

Nobita's life seems to turn out quite gloomy...What's going to happen to him now ?

[...]

* * *

**This is the first chapter of this, I must admit unconventional story in Doraemon's Universe.**

**I know a lot of people hate Nobita, but this cute character is definitely my favorite, along with Doraemon, and I really want to make him feel better and be more than a poor loser, so here I come !**

**Please, tell me what you think about it ! Since it's my first story, I don't know if I'll do the following part yet...**

**And sorry for my english, I'm french^^**


	2. Leaving Home

Chapter 2 : Leaving Home

A full night has been elapsing. Nobita, as usual, is just waking up, taking his time and just falling back asleep about 4 or 5 times before actually waking up, whereas he's already really late for school.

But today, it's going to be much different than usual...Nobita, who hasn't forgotten anything about what occured yesterday and who's now almost sure that his friend will never be coming back, isn't going to school...he'll never do again !

Feeling depressed, sad and tired, he's not in good spirit. In fact, he wishes he had a gun pointed at his head, ready to shoot him death and set him free from life, which has become an unbearable messy hell. To him, there's nothing worse than being in his shoes, and he's determined to put an end to his boring life !

But there's still something troubling him deep inside : How will Doraemon be able to go back to his time, if Nobita dies ? The ones who will actually send him back (his descendants) should not exist anymore at Doraemon's time !

And in addition, if Nobita is really worthless, why do his parents are not chasing him away from home and have another son ?

This is the first time Nobita is thinking about that, but anyway, he's not going to change his mind : his life will be short and soon, everyone will be rid of him ! Nobita feels better just thinking that his death will make everyone happy and joyful.

On the other hand, he realizes all the pain he caused during his lifetime, and quickly feels the need to apologize for all the troubles he triggered. His self-esteem is so low that he briefly thinks even the devil himself his better than him !

But then what about all the adventures he's been living along with Doraemon ? The people he met and saved from a thousands dangers ? The bad guys he fighted and defeated ?...

Nobita : "It's Doraemon's work ! It all happened thanks to him, he's the one we should congratulate, not me ! I was only there to pretend to be someone valuable, someone respectable...someone good !"

A tear rolls over his check again, but he dries it as fast as he can and repress all his emotions, holding back his tears and turning his heart into stone, swearing he'll never feel good again !

After a few minutes of reflection, he take a sheet of paper from his desk, sits down and decides to write down a letter, that he shall give to his parent and his friends too :

_Dear Mom, Dad, Suneo, Shizuka, Gian & Doraemon, _

_I don't know where to start ; there's so much I want to tell you..._

_10 years ago, on August 7__th__, someone was born. It was me. I grew up with your love, your support and your hope to see me shine in happiness and become a great man, useful to society. You never let me down and never gave up. I'm so greatful to you for your efforts and will never be able to thank __you enough for that..._

_But unfortunately, I miserably failed, in making you proud of me and becoming the one I should have become. Instead, I successfully made myself the worst loser of all time, dumb, weak and useless. I don't know how, maybe you were actors beforehand my birth, but you are very good at hiding how much you're ashamed of me. I don't deserve praise, nor any love from anyone. It's time for me to put a stop to this ridiculous game ; my life sucks and I've had enough of failing all the time, of being stupid and being the one who's always laughed at..._

_My daily life is waking up in a bad mood, coming late at school, being scolded by Sensei for sleeping in class, not doing my homeworks and scoring zeros everywhere, then being sent standing in the corner while being mocked and laughed at by everyone, looking ridiculous because I can't do almost anything (like swimming), then being forced to play baseball after cleaning the class as a punishment, showing how bad I am at sports, being beaten and chased away, run after by dogs and finally getting scolded again and grounded at home for my bad grades and my dirty bedroom..._

_When it come to friend relations, I'm humiliated by everyone, since I've got so much weakness. I'm hopeless in almost every game and with girls too. Everybody thinks that I'm dumb, stupid and a toy that they can use to have fun (which is right). I'm getting bullied every time and I'm never interesting enough to get some respect from anyone._

_When it comes to family, everybody hopes I'll live a brilliant life, being a famous artist or scientist, and at least someone useful to society. But you always end up disappointed. I'm sure you wish I were not your son every time I get scolded. I never want to go out, I'm lazy and I think I never helped you with the chores. This is not how you educated me, you must be telling yourself..._

_And when it comes to overcoming daily hardships, I never try to find a solution ; I expect the other to do it for me. I really wonder what would have happened if Doraemon never came ; I think I'd be dead already ! Doreaemon always says I should behave like a man, not like a hopeless, worthless, cowardly naughty boy (not to quote more)..I'm actually a helpless monster ! I'm a failure and a disaster as a man, always the last and in trouble. I caused so much pain all around me, I had the opportunity of becoming someone great, but I wasted it...Now my life is going down the drain and I'm slowly dying away ; I'm ashamed of myself, I can't even stare at miror !_

_It's clear that ____I don't deserve your friendship nor your love, I was supposed to become, like every kid, independant and successful, but now it's time to face the truth : the only thing I go is winning the throphy for the worse loser of all time, unable to stand up for himself and handle myself. I've been spoiled and babied by a great friend I was complitly dependant on, who believe in me, but in vain...I couldn't even bother myself enough to have the courage to try to get out of the pit and improve myself, I only made myself worse...Now it's time to STOP IT ! I've too much debts to pay now, with all the trouble I caused you and all the energy you spent trying to make me shape up...I can't pay them back, the only way is to get you rid of me. If I had this power, I'd definitely go back in time and prevent my own birth ! But I'm so akward, I don't want to cause a bigger mess..._

_____You are all what I love in this world...and what I'll never be..._

_I'll never be clever and beautiful like Shisuka, smart and brilliant like Hidetoshi, rich and attractive like Suneo, strong and dearless like Gian...I don't fit in this world !_

_Mom, you were and still are the best mother in the world ; I wish I could jump into your arms and be your baby again, but I won't sully you no more. _

_Dad, also the best in the world. Keep being successful in your work and never give up ! __; I wish you the best._

_Shizuka, someone exceptional, beautiful and clever. I must confess I've always been in love with you, but the truth is you're better off with someone like Hidetoshi. He's shy but he's so intelligent and brilliant in everything he does, you two are made to be together. A story like "They lived in happiness and had a lot of children" will never do it with me !_

_Suneo, I never told you since I was jealous, but I've always admired you. You are smart, attractive and worked off so hard to be the best. You always succeed and will always do. I envy you. Please, keep on this way, you're worth it !_

_Gian, one day you tried to become more friendly than you were but I mocked you, so I think I deserve all the beatings you did to me. You are strong, brave and never give up. I believe in you !_

_Doraemon...I wish you'll never read this, it would mean you never came back from your time, and it's really better this way ! You are the best friend I've never had and you made me understand who I really was. Thank you._

_This letter is for all those you had to bear my existence during their life...and for those who had the chance not to ! For Sensei, who put himself upside down to unsuccessfully try to force me to shape up...For all my classemates, who never wanted to really be my friends...Now, I understand why, and thank them a lot, because I won't leave this world thinking I made them suffer too..._

_I'll miss you all deeply, let's just hope you won't feel the same._

_Even if you find a way, don't try to prevent me from doing what I'm about to do ; for your own good, it has to be done._

_If you read this letter, I'm already gone far far away, in a place where no one will witness my decline, and I'm probably already dead ; now you can smile, have another son (and another friend), forget about me and be happy ; this is the only thing I wish for you._

_Good bye everyone...once for all._

_Take Care,_

_Nobita Nobi._

**[...] End of the letter [...]**

In tears again, Nobita lets the letter on his desk, takes a deep breath and get up. He stares at his messy bedroom...this is the last time he's going to see it ! He wants to take a last nap before leaving, but his laziness will not dominate him this time !

Nobita : "All right, now let's clean up this mess ! I'm going to die soon, but it's not a reason to leave this shabby place like this ; I don't want Mom to be forced to do this job once again ! Let's go working !"

This experience feels quite strange for Nobita ! Usually helped by Doraemon's tools and gadgets to tidy his room, what would make this task much easier so far, he now has to work the "old-fashion" way ! But it's not important, Nobita feels motivated, more than he've ever been, and eventually fully succeeds in doing a very well job ! He eventually spends the whole day cleaning everything up, but mainly become he absolutly wants his mother to think he's working at school.

Once his job done, he takes a short break. He waits until a loud hubbub outside draws his attentions : all the children are going back home : school is over.

Nobita : "Oh my, I betta hurry ! They shall soon discover that I skipped school !"

He packs up some of his goods (His toys and mangas mainly) and put them inside a bag. He open the door and quietly wades throught the house to the living room, without doing any noise, and looks for some glue. But since he cannot find any, he is about to use his "Bamboo Copter" to fly off the house when he hears his mother talking to him :

Mom : "Nobita ! Please, come here ! I've got something to tell you, and..."

Nobita : "Sorry, but I have to go...Please, forgive me !"

Mom is perplexed and confused, and wonders what he means by "Forgive me", but before she can answers, she watches through the window and sees her son flying away, obviously holding something heavy with him, too far away now. She murmurs to herself, visibly worried :

"...I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday...I hope he isn't mad at me !"

[...]

Meanwhile, Nobita heads to Gian's mother's store and asks to buy some glue. He also brings out of his bag some clothes and belongings, and asks Gian's mother if she could buy them off. They negotiate for a while a finally, Nobita goes out of the shop with some money and a stick of glue.

He's about to go back home when he hears a loud voice from the street next to him : It's Gian calling him, visibly angry and running straight toward Nobita. The latter, usually intimidated by him, doesn't pay attention and fly away as fast as he can...

Finally reaching the shop, Gian vainly calls Nobita, waving his hands furiously and yelling out loud, but Nobita is already gone...

Gian : "Geez ! Why tha' fool's avoiding me, what's wrong wid' him ? I was abou' to invite him to play baseball again !...I hope he's not mad at me !"

[...]

Still flying over the city of Tokyo, Nobita is heading home as fast as he can, tired of having to flee every time he meets someone he cares much about. For him, it has become unbearable and deep inside, he strongly hopes that no one will ever witness his suicide, and he really can hardly wait for the end !

And so, when he hears a girl voice (It's Shizuka calling him), he bursts into tears and rushes homes without looking back.

Left alone again, Shizuka tries to understand such a strange behaviour from someone who used to be joyful every time he heard her voice calling so far...But then she remembers Nobita's "misfortune" at school the day before.

She comes to the conclusion that maybe he feels hurt, doesn't think much of her anymore, and even hates her ! She, like the others, hopes that he "isn't mad at her", and suddenly feels the need to visit him, instead of doing her homeworks...

Suneo : "Shizukaaaaaaa-chan !"

She turns over and sees the little boy running to her, visibly worried :

Shizuka : "What's wrong, Suneo-san ?"

Suneo : "Well, I know Nobita-kun often works with you after school, so I wanted to give you this : Nobita's bat, he forgot it yesterday after being chas...playing Baseball with us..."

Shizuka : "Well I'd love to, but I fear he might not be in a good mood today ; he avoided me when I called him !"

At this moment comes Gian, who is looking for them and has just heard what they've said :

Gian : "Geez, it happened to me as well ! He ran awa' whe' I tried to talk to him !"

Shizuka : "That's strange, it's the first time he behaves like this ! Yet, he wasn't like this morn...OH MY, but...he WASN'T HERE this morning, he skipped school ! And we didn't even noticed this !"

The children suddenly feel very uneasy about this unusual event :

Suneo : "Do you think his mother scolded him again ?...Nah, I'm such an idiot, she would never make him miss school !

Shizuka : "I know he got a bad grade yesterday, and I must confess I wouldn't appreciate to be scolded by Sensei the way he was !...Not to mention that I let him down when he asked to work with him ; I was mad at him, and now it's the contrary !

Suneo : "...And I mocked him after he was grounded in school..."

Gian : "...And I beat him hard when he made us lose...

All three finally agree to go right away together to meet Nobita and apologize, thinking they will comfort him...

At the same moment, Nobita is already home, using his glue to stick a sheet of paper (where he previously wrote "for the orphanage") on his bag containing his mangas and toys.

Nobita (smiling with a tears rolling) : "I bet (and hope) they will have fun with it ; they deserve these things more than me !"

He remains still and thoughtful for a moment : he thinks about his life, about what he did, what went wrong and what he could have done...He still hesitates, and is fully aware that he can still stop everything and go back to his "boring life", but he's determined : there's no time for regrets and he really wants to disappear forever...

Nobita is now ready to leave the house. He puts the money he earned at the shop in his pocket, take his Bamboo Copter again, fly off the house, looks back a very last time, and then vanishes away...Not going back...

Now gone far away, Nobita is awaiting...to find the perfect way to put an end to his life...

But he's got no idea of what's waiting for him !

[...]


	3. Remorses & Nightmares

Chapter 3 : Remorses & Nightmares

The rain is falling, the weather is bad and the child is sad...

It's been 2 days now since Nobita left home, firmly believing that he'll never go back. Even though he swears he'll never change his mind, he just cannot stop thinking about his decision, about the ones he left behind, about his life which is about to end...about himself and how he miserably failed in every part of his painful life.

Walking through the streets of the Nerima ward in Tokyo, turning on the left, going back, trying to cross a walking zone, running in a baseball field, trying to know where he must go, wandering aimlessly in the biggest town in the whole word, avoiding everyone else's look at him, a poor child who's not being eating for 2 full days, dressed in now shabby and dirty clothes after two very cold nights spent sleeping under a bridge, looking like a homeless boy...Nobita mopes and moans just thinking that he knew he would finish like this ; over time he's been used to here that from Sensei !

Nobita : "So this is how the homeless live...It's a shame, I was stupid enough to waste a full life being a loser while I still had a home to protect and warm me, parents to raise and feed me, friends to be with, a school to make me a useful guy to society and a hospital where I can go if my health deteriorates...What a waste !"

For Nobita, a lot of questions remain to be answered : Does he really need to go further and kill himself ? If he really does, why wasn't him able to do it earlier ?

Nobita : "Because I'm a coward, of course ! I should have known !"

But time flies and nothing happens, Nobita's tummy is grumpy, is legs tired of holding is body and his eyes closing by themselves...It's now or never !

Walking near a candy shop, Nobita can't help it anymore : he's been imagining many ways to die, but not of hunger ! But when he goes closer to the shop, he's suddenly terrified : putting his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from screaming, he slides on an old newspaper trailing on a soaking sidewalk, falling down. Everyone's watching him but he doesn't care : he gets up and runs away, tripping stumbling and getting up again, before disappearing into a small narrow alley.

He needs time to collect his wits, his heart beating fast and gasping like in a horror movie. What did he see that was that frightening ?

He wants to be sure what he saw is really what he thinks it is. Checking if there's no one wandering in the area, he waits until no one can see him, gets out of his hiding place, tiptoes on the sidewalk and goes hiding behind a garbage can, from where he can observe what he fears might be what he actually saw : inside the candy shop, a notice is posted, showing Nobita's face as he's now wanted by the police !

Nobita : "What da' heck is that ? Why am I...so ugly in this picture ? I'm going to die soon and it's only now that I get famous ?" he says while laughing, making fun of himself.

"Oh my, I'm such a fool, what kind of stupid things am I going to say now ! On the other hand, I can laugh every time another problem crops up, I'm used to that...It's not my problem anymore..."

But while turning back and walking away as he sees some policemen getting closer, he's still trying to know the reason why he's wanted...

Nobita : "I know I'm responsible for a lot of bad deeds but not that much ! Or maybe..."

*****About 2 days before*****

The Children : "NOBITAAAAAA-KUN ! ARE YOU HOME ?

Shizuka : "Maybe he doesn't want to be disturbed ? ARE YOU OKAY, NOBITA ?"

Suneo : "Maybe he's with Doraemon testing a new gadget or something like that !"

Nobita's Mom : What's going o...? Oh, hello Shizuka, Suneo, Gian ! What are you children doing ?

Gian : "We wanna see Nobita, is he home ? It's quite serious !"

Mom : "You wanna play with him ? I'm not sure he's quite good-tempered...Or maybe very busy now !"

Shizuka : "Well, it happens that we're a bit worried about him, he behaved strangely today ! So we figured out he was unhappy about something, or maybe angry...We've got no idea, but he's avoiding us...he did that all day long !"

Suneo : "The only time we saw him was when he went to my mother's shop ; he bought some glue and sold some goods of his, and then he flew back home"

Mom : "What a strange coincidence ! I could not talk to him all day long neither !...And Doraemon, he's been missing since yesterday evening !...Stay here, imma check it out !"

Nobita's Mom goes upstairs, thinking over what Suneo told her (Why would Nobita sell his goods ?) and enters Nobita's bedroom, looking for her son...and of course not finding him ! She notices there's something unusual, like Nobita's desk and furniture being half-empty, missing clothes and toys...and almost no mangas left, even Nobita's birthday presents were all gone ! And such a well tidied bedroom ! Unbelievable !

Mom : "That's odd, I don't remember the last time when Nobita cleaned his room that good ! Is my son changing ?"

Looking closely to Nobita's desk, the open drawer...and finally the letter. But she doesn't have the time to pay more attention to it : the dinner is almost ready and Nobita's friends are waiting for an answer outside, where a frozen wind brings more stormy clouds while the night is falling over Tokyo.

Mom : "He's not here, maybe playing somewhere with Doraemon...But the dinner is ready now, I guess he'll at least come to eat but now it's too late, you should come back tomorrow !"

The Children (Disappointed) : "All right. Good evening, M'am !"

Waving goodbye to the children, Mom goes back home and lays the table. She waits, over and over again, but no one is coming...She gets worried :

Mom : "Nobita, Doraemon, time for dinner, don't be late !...Nobita, if you are still angry, you better talk to me instead of hiding !...Do you hear me ? If you argued with your friends and don't want to talk to them, there're not here anymore, please come down !...Nobita ? Doraemon ?...

She's about to go upstairs again when Dad comes back from a hard day's work, carrying a little box :

Dad : "Hello dear ! It was the hell exhaustive, today ; I'm overwhelmed ! That bad weather is killing me ! I have to change, meanwhile you can give this to Nobita and Doraemon, there are rice cakes and dorayakis for them !

Mom : "If only they come..."

Dad : "What do you mean ?"

Mom : "I haven't seen them today, well not Doraemon ! And Nobita, I just saw him with his Bamboo copter, he almost didn't talk to me, except a strange sentence, I don't remember what exactly...And he's still not here, what's wrong with him ?..;However, his room is perfectly tidied !"

Dad : "That's strange indeed, he wouldn't refuse some rice cakes ! I'm going to check his room, maybe he's feeling bad, he can be very good at disappearing when want to see him, ya know !"

Mom : "Then good luck, since this morning he's become a champion in being untraceable !"

Dad tries anyway and does the same as his wife did just half an hour before...Mom, while cleaning up the table, is more and more worrying herself sick and tries to imagine all the eventualities...When suddenly, a huge scream makes her jumps out of her skin and falls on the floor :

Dad : "NOOOOOOOO, OH MY GOD !"

Panicked Mom rushes to Nobita's bedroom, only to find her husband bended on his knees with a paper in his hand. She asks what he has discovered in a fierce voice :

Dad : "You have to call the police, now ! Our son ran away, and he's in great danger !"

He gives Mom the letter Nobita wrote in the evening. She reads it carefully and then collapses on the floor in tears...

Mom : "Nobita, my poor Nobita ! Where is he, now ?! Why happened that serious for him to have suicidal thoughts ! Oh my !

Dad : "And if we refer to what's written in the later, we must guess Doraemon is probably back to the 22th century ; they probably argued !"

Mom : "I'm going to call the police, we've got to find him !"

Dad (Blaming himself) : "If only I had been more present in my family, instead of working all day long, maybe I could have helped him better !"

Mom : "You had to work hard to bring us enough income to live properly. No, that's my fault, I should have told more with him, maybe I'd have known what were the reasons for his sorrow, instead of having them listed in a letter written by a boy who's know lost somewhere and endangering his life ! I WANT him back, let's look for him !"

Dad : "Let's go ; no time to lose !"

And so, the two parents spent the whole night looking for their son, but vainly, they had to give it up to the police the day after, exhausted and traumatized. The police tries to reassure them, promising to bring him back alive...but when your son is alone in the streets, with no one to talk to, a bad weather that won't stop that soon, and ready to attempt suicide, it's normal to panic ! The only thing that gives them hope is to know that Nobita can still buy some food, since he obviously brought the money he earned at the shop with him.

Mom (before going to bed) : "Nobita..my little treasure ! I pray for you to stay alive ! I promise you to take good care of you once you're back ! And please, forgive us if we caused pain to you ! Whatever happens, hold on and don't give up !"

*****End of flashback*****

Now back in present time, Nobita's still wandering endlessly, like a strayed dog, roaming in the streets. His forces are leaving him and he's now in a real big predicament : when will he finally fulfill his need to end years of suffering and losing ?

Nobita is full of hesitation, fully aware than if he doesn't hurry; he'll either get hurt or captured by the police. He really doesn't want to come back home, he'd be too ashamed to do so after all that's been happening so far. But he's really afraid of death and somehow, he cannot stop thinking about the possible reactions of his closing relatives and friends : would they regret him ? Or instead, would they be happy about being rid of this loser once for all ?

Nobita feels bad, more and more, after time and he still doesn't want to buy anything to eat or to drink with his money : he's got other plans for it...

Too tired to go on, Nobita sits down on a garbage heap, lost somewhere in the middle of Tokyo's backstreets. He raises his head up and stares at the sky as the clouds are getting chased away by a strong and cold wind that makes Nobita shakes like a leaf. He's feeling quite sick, exhausted and it's now only a question of minutes before he catches a naughty cold. As the sky is getting cleaned and brighter, he closes his eyes, ready to take a short nap.

He dreams of his former life : the joy of his newborn days, his mother's tenderness and lullabies, his always kind and understanding (and patient too) long-lost grandmother...And then his first days at school, how he learned to walk, to talk and to live in society. How he was raised and educated... And finally, how he progressively started to fall, from a funny and innocent life, full of discoveries and affection, to a gloomy and annoying life, made of failing, bad scores, mocking, humiliation and scolding, how he realized that he depended too much on his parents and received a "visit" from Doraemon, learning about his dark and uncertain future...

The dream turns into a terrible and awful nightmare for Nobita, as he's brought back many memories of his now former friend Doraemon, which allowed him to live some extra-nice and extraordinary adventures, the only things really interesting and worth living in his life. But every adventure had an end, which was always the same : the hard return of Nobita to daily life, as if nothing had happened, with no one to know about his heroic actions...

The last part of his nightmare is about all the good deeds he tried to accomplish during his lifetime with Doraemon and finally backfired on him, causing more pain, for him and the other, than the joy expected. But most all, he remembers how childish, immature, selfish and stupid he's been, since almost every time doraemon let him use one of his tools, he was lazy and mischievous enough to use them only to play pranks on other, avenging himself on Gian and Suneo or making fun of other, to forget the fun that was made of him as well...

He particularly remembers the time when he prided himself in front of the lying mirror, thinking he most the most handsome guy in the world, while he was only the ugliest.

And when he was tricked by his friends : since it was easy to make him laugh, they managed to make Shizuka think he was making a fool of her, and how he unsuccessfully tried to gain her love back, by using Doraemon's laughing doll to avenge himself on his friends, but finally abusing it and losing control. The only thing he eventually got was causing much pain to innocent people !

He's dreaming about the time he used the "Channel of Dream" to spy his friends' dreams (where he was always the "baby cry"), when his nightmare is abruptly interrupted by the fierce heavy noise of a big thunderclap : the sun has gone again and a night severe thunderstorm is ruling the sky again...Scared to death (he wishes it were not only an expression), he falls from the garbage heap and knocks himself down on the floor.

Nobita (getting up, bawling) : "Ouch, it hurts !...What, it's raining again ? Is God really so eager me to go to hell ?, he yells as he starts to cry out loud from the memories his nightmare reminded him of.

"All right, now it's enough ! No more excuses ! It's been two days and I'm still alive, and every time I sleep I'm having these awful nightmares ! This is the last time I'm naping, it caused me too much trouble in my life Now, I only let myself up to 24 hours to make a decision, I'm fed up with being so slow ! Let's find a good way to die, I'll have as much time as I want to nap afterward ! But first, let's give that money to someone who really needs (and deserves) it ! And I think I know where I'm going to head now..."

Walking away with his dirty, stinking clothes, sneezing from the cold he caught while sleeping, he's ready for a very last one deed, that he hopes this time will succeed...

* * *

**[To be continued soon !]**


	4. Ready For The End

Chapter 4 : Ready For The End

"Ah...aaaaaah...AHCHOO !", Nobita sneezes.

After getting a real bad cold, Nobita is now weaker than ever. Having difficulties to walk and staying awake...Obviously lost, he tries to remember where the Ichiro's, a poor family with one mother and 6 children, live. The last time he saw Abaraya, one of the children from this family (and also a student in the same school), it was on a Christmas day, when Nobita invited him to join him and his friends. The shy boy was designed, after losing at rock-paper-scissors, as the host of their Christmas party.

But he was not really enjoying this, and Nobita soon discovered, along with Doraemon, that Abaraya lived outside of Tokyo, near an industrial complex, in the middle of a kind of forest, in a (very) small and unsanitary cabin, and with such a big family, they were definitely outnumbered and living in awful conditions ! They were poor and totally unable to organize such a party in such a miserable place.

Fortunately, and with Nobita's help, Doraemon came to the rescue and used his gravity paint tool to allow anyone to walk on the wall and the ceiling, as if they were on the floor, having the funniest and most wonderful Christmas party ever, without being crushed and crowded...

But since then, their situation didn't improve, nor has their income increased, sentencing them to remain as poor as they are forever. They didn't succeed in making a better living, and Nobita was never able to help them again, and actually felt guilty about that ! And since Doraemon couldn't create miracles neither, he was forced to admit that he could not do anything for them, what was unacceptable for the generous soul Nobita is.

And today, in order to fulfill the promise he made to accomplish a very last good deed, Nobita gathers all the money he brought with him when he left home in his hands. He knows that if he keeps wandering like this, without protection, in those rough back streets, he'll either be attacked by some robbers aching to screw his money, or yield to the temptation of buying something to eat...What he hopes will never happen since he wants to die ! But it's almost sure it will occur, especially when your name is Nobita, a weak and frail boy, weakened by hunger and tired of living !

To make sure his money isn't going to benefit unscrupulous minds, Nobita chose to give his precious money to this family. He's getting weaker and weaker over each minute, and soon he won't be able to bear it anymore. Summoning up all his strength left, he can't hardly believe he will be strong enough to reach this very last goal, but for the very first time, he feels motivated...very motivated, so much that he eventually remembers where the family live exactly !

While getting out of the backstreets, Nobita finds an old ragged windbreaker in the garbages and a cardboard box in a relatively good state. He slips it on and use the hood to hide his face, so that no one would recognize him. Now out of the streets, he heads to the place where the family lives, walking and walking again, exhausted but happy to know that his deed will be the only one somehow useful to society, like everyone else among Nobita's family and friends used to repeat him.

He's near the road and remember that there's shortcut that will lead him straight to Abaraya's house on the other side of the road. Nobita uses a pedestrian crossing to cross it, when he sees a small black truck driving his way. He's getting closer, obviously getting faster. Nobita has a bad feeling about it, and he's right : the truck isn't slowing down and it's tearing along toward him ! Nobita just has the time to scream in fear and bursts apart from the truck's path in a hurry, wallowing in a dirty puddle. He raises his head, still shocked and sees the truck driving away, and a rough voice yelling :

"Out of my way, you bastard !"

Nobita : "Be careful where you go, you fools ! Pedestrian crossing aren't adornments !"

Angry from what just happened, he feels even more frustrated when he realizes he could have died this way, in an accident, instead of killing himself. But he doesn't have the time to have remorses once again and starts to run to Abaraya's home, but is stopped by a policeman :

Policeman : "Hey, young boy ! You should be more careful ! Next time, check out if the car will give way to you first, before crossing !"

But Nobita is really furious, impatient to end everything and really not willing to get lectured once again :

Nobita : "OH, SHUT UP ! And thank you for worrying about my sake, I'll get along !"

The policeman is confused by such a rough answer and wonders why he thinks he already saw this face somewhere...It lets Nobita the time to disappear once again. Racing up a hill, he finally reaches the home. He hides in the undergrowth and checks if no one saw him coming. While keeping an eye on this house, he takes all the money he has left (he lost some when he was almost run over by the truck), and he puts into inside the box he found with the windbreaker. He jumps out of the bushes he was hiding in, tiptoes silently to the house's entrance, drops off the box near the door and then go away, without turning back.

He walks the same way back to the place where he met the truck, and picks up some of the coins he lost there. He can hardely walk now and it's only a question of minutes before he loses conscience. He knows he'll not have the force to commit suicide and decides to buy some dorayakis in a bakery with the money he picked up. He sits down on a public bench and eats the food, on his own and still sneezing. He feels sick but the good dorayakis are delicious and cheering him up.

Nobita : "With all those troubles I've been through all this time, I almost forgot the simple pleasures of life, like eating...If only Doraemon were here, I look exactly like him now !, he says, smiling.

Unfortunately, this short moment of happiness is interrupted when the baker bursts out of his shop and stares at Nobita : he recognized him, forcing Nobita to run away...once again ; he has now become a fugitive ! He goes back to the backstreets and is able to shake off his pursuers...

Nobita : "It was close, this time ! I betta hurry if I don't want to be caught...First, I have to go out of town, I don't want everyone to witness my death ! Let's go !"

**Meanwhile...**

A police car is heading toward the center of Tokyo. Inside, Nobita's Mom and Dad, along with Nobita's friends are talking with police officers about their son's disappearance. While the police was looking Nobita's room up and down, they found the bag containing his mangas and toys. They saw what was written on it, which explains why they're currently heading to the center of Tokyo, where the orphanage is. They hope Nobita will still be here, or at least that someone spotted him and knows where he went.

A Police Officer : "Here we are, if you want to help us, let's first ask all the people there if they saw your son."

Dad : "We follow you, let's not lose hope !"

Everyone jumps out of the car in a hurry and immediately starts to look and call for Nobita in the orphanage, questioning the children, as well as the employees. They spend hours doing their best, without losing hope to find a clue to would have them find Nobita, but their researches are useless : Nobita never came here !

Desperate, Nobita's parents start to ask the policeman if they researches were more successful than theirs. But it's the same on their side, and the endless investigation starts to get on their nerves, as they're really worrying themselves sick about Nobita.

Shizuka, who's also helping with the questioning, meets a young girl, whom she asks the same question...and it seems that she saw someone that looked like the description Shizuka gave her.

The girl : "Yeah, I saw someone dressed like the one you're looking for ; he was near that big building, over there !"

Shizuka : "Thanks a million, I'm sure it's gonna be useful !"

The building happens to be the great Tokyo Stock Exchange. Filled with hope again, they all want rush inside, but they're not allowed to do so. Fortunately, the police want them to stay with them, so that they could talk with Nobita if they find him threatening to commit suicide ; they have more chance to persuade him not to harm himself than the police itself, so they are finally allowed in. But this place is huge, and looking for a boy, who's presumed to be Nobita, is going to take much time, even with the police's help...

**Back with Nobita...**

"Geez, that city is the heck big ! I'll never be able to reach the country, not without using the public transports...If only I had Doraemon's Anywhere Door, it would be much easier..."

For a short moment, Nobita thinks of going back home. But for what ? Become he's too lazy to walk ? Or become he wants to give up and go back to his old life ?

Nobita : "NO, I'm NOT going to use a gadget anymore, I'll manage by myself !...But I'm not superman, I'll need days to reach the country ; too long, I've had enough now !...I KNOW, I'll go to the city core, if the police is looking for me using the informations I wrote in my letter (I guess my of parents are those who informed them), they must think I used my money to take a train and escape from Tokyo ! No one will ever imagine to see me there !"

Satisfied and determined, Nobita turns back and is now heading to the center of the city. He's almost, we can say happy, about knowing, at last, where he has to go. He feels like the end is close. Still wearing his ragged windbreaker to hide his face, and while walking in the street, which are now growing darker as the sun is coming down, Nobita thinks a very last time about his life, his friends and his parents, how he was born, rose and finally fell brutally and prematurely.

Nobita prays God for not being harsh to his family, and makes them happy. He tries to imagine what they will become once he's gone forever :

Nobita : "My parents...they will feel pain...when they realized how much time they wasted with me. They will have another son : he'll be beautiful, smart, hefty and strong. He'll grow up to become the one I failed to become : a great guy, an outstanding artist, or a brilliant scientist. Who knows ?...He'll make them proud and be the greatest friend Suneo, Gian and Shizuka will ever have !"

He then begins to think about Shizuka :

Nobita : "Shizuka...She's so pretty ! I wonder how I was stupid enough to only imagine I had any chance with her ! She's so cute, kind and kawaii ! She's so clever and lovely, she will fits well with Hidetoshi, he's her male counterpart !...Or maybe she'll marry Mom and Dad's new son. They will be happy forever...and...and...they will have a beautiful child too...and..."

Nobita starts to sob deeply, big tears streaming donw his face, taken big a deep grief. He tries to persuade himself these are joy tears. But he knows they come from his sadness and guilt. And while passing beside a baby shop, he's reminded of his first years of life...How he wishes to have his mother to cheer him up, to love him, comfort him, kiss him and hugging him, like his Grandmother used to, and not blaming and scolding him hard !

Nobita : "And Suneo, and Gian...Suneo will become a gentleman ! I can already imagine him : with pretty clothes, a bowler hat, a worldwide celebrity...He's good at singing, maybe he'll become a famous singer !...And Gian, over time he'll realize that he's been bullying his fellows too much and then, he'll become kind to the other, using his strength to help spreading justice in the world !...Or maybe he'll become a great athlete, winning the Olympic Games..."

Nobita takes a break in another narrow alley, as he's crying too much and trying to hide his sorrow from everyone else's look, knelling down on the dirty ground of a this shabby lane, lowering his head on the floor and sobbing...He then thinks about his now lost former blue cat-shaped robotic friend :

Nobita : "I'm certain he won't have the time to think about me again ! I'm sure he's got a love interest, but he was too shy to talk me about the, Doraemon, you old devil ! And you still have Dorami, your lovely sister !..."

Nobita pauses for a moment, as it's quite hard for him to breath with so much crying...

"And Sewashi, the one who sent Doraemon...I'm sure he made a mistake : it's the one who will replace me that shall need him, not to get better but for his friendship ; Sewashi isn't my great-great-great grandson, I swear I'll cut my hand if I'm wrong !"

It's now too hard for Nobita to keep on : he needs to relax and have these thoughts vanished away. Drying his tears and wiping his face, he goes on and never stop walking, looking at Mt Fujiyama, still so awestruck by the beauty and the grandness of this wonderful mountain.

As he passes along a sport field, Nobita is attracted by something rather unusual : there are about a dozen guys, obviously professionals, who are training Karate and other martial sports in the field. Nobita really admires them, and just cannot stop watching them fighting, learning how to defend themselves and how to use tactical hits and movements to overpower their adversaries, while remaining very respectful to each other.

Nobita notices their uniforms and their black belts ; he senses that they must high-level sportsmen, training for the Olympic Games, or something like this, since they are surrounded by journalists and fans, elated by their beautiful muscles and breathtaking fighting skills.

Nobita (sighing) : "Well, I guess they were like me at first, but they worked hard and spent years to train, as they had a reason to live, a true passion, something that gave them the courage to surpass themselves and to make them champions...Not like me..."

Nobita stays several hours watching them training, looking carefully at each movements, each defence and attack technics they would use in their fights, and even reproducing them...well trying to ! After all the hardships Nobita's been through, a little self-derision isn't going to hurt him !

Nobita : "Hee,hee, I remember when I went to the Koya Koya planet : I was so strong thanks to the difference in gravity between our two worlds ; it sure was awesome ! I guess I'll have my chance to be as strong as them...in another life !"

And when the sportsmen stop their training, Nobita gets his feet back on the ground, chases his fantasies away and resumes his walk to the city core...[...]

The evening goes by, and Nobita is now close to the Business area, close to the center...close to his fate ! He's fully aware that if everything takes place as he expects, he shall not see the sunrise, nor the dawn again ; his heart starts beating fast. He wants to climb up the building and then jump...but he's not able to. He tries to drive everything away so he can focus on finding how he'll die, but his mind is a blank and nothing seems to come out...

Suddenly, Nobita ears an extremely loud noise : it's like a thunderclap, but faster and lasting only for one second. Then a second, a thrid noise, and on, and on, and on... In addition to that, he can clearly distinguish other noises, especially people screaming, panicking. It seems to be coming from the area where the orphanage is, near the Tokyo Stock Exchange...

Nobita recognizes the sound of guns and firearms. People are yelling everywhere, children are crying and far away from shooting place, police sirens can be heard as well.

The alley where Nobita is seems to lead straight to this place ; Nobita slowly walks toward the end of the alley ; from where he is he can see people running away. One of them surges in the alley and warns Nobita :

"You shouldn't stay here, they are many evil hooded guys machine guns and grenades ; they're attacking the bank and the Stock Exchange ! They're heavily armed and they will kill you ! Run for your life", he told Nobita before taking to his heels.

The shootout gets more intense as Nobita ears some blasts and explosions, blowing off windows and wiping out the cars, as well as many shots from police guns : a battle has engaged between the..."guys" (Are they criminal ? Robbers ? Terrorists ?...) and the police. Nobita's got nothing to lose, so he decides to watch the scene from closer, hiding behind a burning car, only to see the mysterious armed guys taking shelter inside the big building, holding several civilians hostage, their weapons aimed at their head while they're been dragged inside the big building...All of that under the eyes of the policemen, powerless and already getting ready to besiege the building, invading the place and already cordoning off the whole district...

Nobita is even more astounded as a recognizes, among what's left of the vehicles and cars beside the Stock Exchange, a small black-colored truck that may be the one which almost crushed him down on the pedestrian crossing !

Disbelieving about the hostage's fate, Nobita turns back as he sees some policemen approaching, and runs as fast as he can to flee the scene. But, and he doesn't know why, he's got the strange feeling of being observed and followed...He's scared and panicked. He wonders if he's not turning paranoiac, but when he makes out a kind of shadow on the wall next to him, he turns back, looking up and down, turning back again, running, stopping, standing still...It's a nightmare ; nobita loses his temper !

Nobita realizes that it's much more difficult to accept to die than he has expected !

Stuck in a very small alley, he takes cover behind a dustbin, but quickly jump out of his skin when he feel something clutching at his shoes : it's a mouse ! Nobita sighs in relief, but clenches his fist, feeling ready to fight if he's attacked or mugged...He slowly gets out of his hiding place and tries to escape, but when he hears what seems to be some footsteps, he turns his head around to check if there's someone near him. The footsteps are getting faster and stronger : someone is approaching.

He turns over again, disturbed by the sound of a little stone that obviously fell from the sky. He raises his head, and at this precise moment, he understands that he was tricked, as he feels the presence of someone behind him. He doesn't have the time to turn over : he's violently hit in the back of his head, clubbed from behind, and finally knocked unconscious...

**Nobita has just been abducted !**

[...]

**To be continued !**


	5. Terrorist Thread

Chapter 5 : Terrorist Thread

On a sunny afternoon, the wind is blowing sweetly, bringing some fresh air and caressing the grass. The sky is clear, the sun filling the world with a heartwarming and gracious light, Nature is sparkling and radiant, animals are living happily among the flowers and the trees...

But this wonderful world is suddenly troubled with a terrible scream, a horrible noise that makes everything tremble and the leaves falling from the trees :

Mom : "NOBITAAAAAAAAA ! So here you ! How dared you run away ? You made me so freakin' worried, you're such a...naughty boy ! I hate you !"

Nobita (begging) : "Please, Mommy...I want to be forgiven, please I need your love !"

Mom : "Shut up ! You won't get anything from me anymore ! You're not my son, I have a new one that will easily replace you in my heart, and I won't be ashamed of him ! You are nothing to me, get out of here !"

Nobita : "No, Mom, please, I love you ! No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...!

[...]

The scene fades to black, and suddenly disappear from Nobita's vision, who wakes up with a start :

[...]

Nobita : "HAAAAAAA ! No please, don't...do..."

Toshio : "Hey, Nobita, are you alright ? Young man, are you okay ?"

Nobita : "I...I think so...It's not half cold over here !"

Shivering like he's been undressed by force and thrown into a snowstorm, his body covered with sweat and his vision still half blurred, Nobita tries to understand where he is, realizing he has just awakened after another harsh nightmare.

He puts his hand on his face, slowly summoning up his strength, then waving his arms and hands all around him while his vision is getting clearer, trying to know where he is...

It soon becomes obvious for him that he's not in the alley anymore, but instead confined and shut in, caged in a king of improvised cell, that's been set up just for him, along with many other prisoners...He remembers how he was treacherously knocked out in the alley, while he was escaping from the Stock Exchange hostage taking and shoot-out between the mysterious criminals and the police. Before asking the one who woke him up the why and the wherefore, he starts to analyse the situation and looks carefully at every single detail that could help him learn more about where he is and what he's doing here :

He notices that the prisoners he's locked up with are quite numerous, packed up in a very small and dirty cage with rusted bars, in insalubrious living conditions. Some of them are obviously injured, covered with dirt, scars, injuries and blood ; some others are sick, suffering colds and even fever ! There are flies everywhere and an awful smell is bursting from this place, making the air almost unbreathable. On the evidence that everyone looks so dreadful, Nobita comes to the conclusion that they've been confined there for several days !

Looking closely outside the cage, Nobita understands he's now in a sort of a huge complex, a kind of warehouse. All around the cage are piled up dozens of crates, the floor is made of concrete and the ceiling is almost completely hidden, covered by an incredible tubing and plumbing system. There's only one light source, and it's coming straight from the only door that could allow everyone to leave this warehouse if they could set themselves free.

This place is really cold, gloomy and damp, a true nightmare ! Nobita's throat is brutally constricted with fear when he notices the heavily armed guard, who's got a very nasty face. On his belt are hooked some grenades and a gun, in addition to the machine gun, probably an AK-47 the guard is holding. Very worried but decided to know the truth, Nobita finally asks for answers :

Nobita : "Okay, guys. First, could you tell me where I am ? Oh and how do you know my name ?"

Toshio : "Well first, let me introduce myself : my name is Toshio, I'm a member of the Time Police. We're here in an underground research complex in the outskirts of Tokyo...I must say it's an honor to meet you, after all the times I've seen you in action, saving lives, civilizations and helping us arresting time criminals !"

It felt strange for Nobita to hear someone else than Doraemon or his friends talking about the adventures he lived with them, in addition to receiving congratulations !

Nobita : "You're from the Time Police ? And you know me ?"

Toshio : "Sure, I do ! I particularly remember the time when you enabled us to capture a dangerous dinosaur hunter, it was amazing, we had been looking for him for ages !...But anyway, that's not the problem...You must be wondering what you're doing in the middle of this mess, right ?"

Nobita nods in agreement, so he goes on : "First, let me apologize for the way we brought you here, I confess it wasn't very polite and kind of us, but we were in a hurry and had no other choices, so..."

Nobita : "So you are the one who hit me hard while I was running away ? Thanks to you I have a big headache now ! Not to mention the nightmare..."

Toshio : "We couldn't act another way...But it's not important ! I brought you here because...how can I say that...you were the only one that could react positively to the experience..."

Nobita : "What the hell are you talking about ? What experience ? Who are these armed to the teeth guys ?"

Toshio : "Please, let me explain ! These are terrorists, very dangerous and evil ones ! They are lead by an unknown criminal, who calls himself the "Savior", but his men call him their ''Lord''. His official name is Taikan. He's the leader, their chief...we can even say their god and guru ! The Stock Exchange attack is nothing but a diversion to trick the police and move them away from here. And it's working since all their strength is busy dealing with this attack. Meanwhile, the terrorists assaulted this place and made all the employees working here prisoners. They've been here for 2 days now, and we..."

Nobita : "Wait a second ! If they attacked this building just before you kidnap me...It means I've been sleeping here for 2 days, haven't I ?!"

Toshio : "You are right ! But it's mostly due to the experience...And please don't ask me what it was, imma tell you now the whole truth : The terrorists are acting here for a precise reason : they want to blow up the whole city of Tokyo with a nuclear bomb !"

Nobita's face winces in incredulity, as he's not sure he's heard very well what Toshio just told him. He slaps himself twice, bites his finger, wishing he had Doraemon's Dream Checker, because he really cannot trust such an information nor believe a single word from what's just been revealed to him...

"That's true, Nobita ! They are really able to do it, and it's not a joke ! They will kill 40 billion people in an single strike with this bomb ! I know it's quite shocking for you, but you must believe me !"

Nobita (still dazed) : "It's not too much to say that ! [...] But anyway, after all I've been seeing and going through the past 3 days, nothing can surprise me anymore...Please, keep on !"

Toshio : "Anyway, since we only knew they were dangerous and had a nuclear bomb in their possession, we decided to infiltrate a mole among them. It was me ; I pretended to be on their side and was hired as one of their scientists. They've been working on this attack for several mouths...These people are completely crazy : they've got a secret laboratory, where I've been working before today. And in there, they were doing horrible things, like studying and modifying their guinea pigs' brains, injecting them some strange products, and even replacing some parts of the brain with synthetic tissues, turning them into androids !"

Toshio paused just the time to take a breath while Nobita's staring at him, frightened, and then goes on :

"They are a real sect ; they think they can create a superman with their experiences ! I don't know why, maybe they want to have a good army to rule the world after triggering a worldwide nuclear warfare, I dunno...And somehow, they almost succeeded in that way !"

Nobita : "That's incredibly stupid and absurd ! Creating a...superman ? They must be out of touch with the real world, or I'm leaving a true nightmare ! But anyway, how am I related to all this silliness ?"

Toshio : "Well, I hope you're not going to kill me for that...but you ARE this superman ! You are the first patient that successfully meets with their expectations !"

Nobita, who's more and more dazed over the minutes, starts to think he's either driven crazy and the victim of the worst joke of his life :

Nobita : "You're kiddin' me, right ?"

Toshio : "If there's a time to be serious, it's really now ! Not, I ain't kidding you ! [...]

Listen carefully : one day before the attack on the Stock Exchange, Taikan ordered us to be more productive in our researches. All our experiences on adults had failed. So, I decided to use a child instead, it was the only way to gain his trust back. To him, I wasn't trustworthy, he even accused me of slowing them down on purpose, trying to bungle their work, so I had to prove him I could still be useful !"

Nobita (very angry) : "You're such a monster ! How could you do that to me, on a CHILD ? And why did you choose me ?"

Toshio : "To save billions of people...No, to give YOU to task to save billions of people. I chose you because you were the first child I found on my way, since I was originally supposed to participate in the Stock Exchange attack. But then you as a perfect guinea pig, a "patient" if you prefer, a child this time ! He gave me another chance and let me join the terrorists who assaulted this complex. I was then settled in one of this building's research lab and asked to start my experiences immediately, and I absolutely had to come out with something interesting for them !..."

Nobita : "You mean...you made me a superman ?"

Toshio : "Yes, the experience was a huge success. Unfortunately, the same day, Taikan found out about my origins and discovered from whom I was actually working. He captured me and stopped the experience...It was just a few hours ago. You were left for dead and thrown inside this cage, along with us..."

[...]

Nobita, who wasn't really expecting that, needs to relax, sitting down in the corner and thinking over...In what kind of mess he wallowed in again ?

For Nobita, it's getting absurd and ridiculous, but he cannot help it. Stuck in this cage, he really feels the need to escape before getting mad and crazy. But how can he run away when he has to confront heavily armed fanatic psychopaths, lead by an insane megalomaniac and an army of mad scientist badly affected by a serious mental disturbance ?

On a first hand, Nobita doesn't care about dying here ; it's still better than killing himself. On the other hand, he's surrounded by dying innocent people for whom he feels pity and a great need to give support and help. But how can a small, weak and dumb boy like him could rescue them and, possibly, stop the terrorists ?...At this precise moment, Nobita thinks again about the experiences Toshio made with his brain : Is he really a superman ? Can he use this to break free ?

Nobita : "Toshio, I needs to know what you did to me exactly ! If you really succeeded like you said before, I may be able to get us out of here !"

Toshio (curious about this sudden change of mind) : "Well, I'm glad you decided to help us, but I fear it might not be enough...I've been "working on you" for only two days. If my memory's good, you are now endowed with more intelligence abilities. You are more reactive, smart, and very clever and cunning as well. You are good at finding solutions to every problem in a few time ; you also have more strength in your body, and you feel quite more determinate than before ! Is that the way you feel ?"

It's hard for Nobita to answer, since being smart has always been unfamiliar to him. But for Nobita, there's no time to doubt himself : Nobita isn't very good at general culture, but he knows what a nuclear bomb is and what will happen to the inhabitants of Tokyo if nobody tries to foil the terrorists' plans, and who awful their death will be. Some will be burned alive, others will die after a long fight against cancer they will catch from the radiations. Nobita feels a frozen shiver going down his spine : he WON'T let this happen ! And since the fate of the lives of so many people is in his hands, Nobita's got nothing else to do but trying. After all, he's got nothing to lose.

But there's no time to burn and Nobita needs to learn, literally, how to be clever and cunning ! It's quite unusual for him to keep hope alive while he's always been pessimistic. And it's even more unwonted as he needs to believe in himself. But as he now thinks what Toshio revealed him is true, he is really determinate to do something, and feels a strong adrenaline rush deep inside, pushing him to overcome his fear of succeeding and surpass himself, even though he has almost not chance to get out of here alive.

He stays in the corner for a while, first meditating about the last hours of living he's got left, thinking about his family. He prays for them not to perish in the nuclear blast if he fails, which gives him the force to concentrate and elaborate a plan in order to have a chance to win. He focuses on every possibility he may have, willing to find the solution by himself...and it finally pays off !

He's curious about a strange object placed just behind the locked entrance of the cage...He thinks it's a bomb when he remarks that it's clock-shaped and connected to a pack of dynamite sticks, by small filaments and wires. He guesses it's ready to detonate if someone dares to open the door, killing everyone else...and quite useful to dissuade any fleeing attempt ! Obviously, the filaments, as well as the bomb's power supply, are not protected...He's got an idea !

Nobita makes up an audacious stratagem : he waits for the changing of the guard, while the newcomer is talking to the other guard, to expose his plan to everyone. He knows that regularly, the guards are using a torch to light up the cage, in order to check if everyone's obedient and not trying to escape. After talking a lot, the newcomer does use his torch as well, but he's too busy discussing and mocking the prisoners with his mate and doesn't pay attention to what's happening in the cage while still lighting it up : Nobita uses his glasses and successfully set a piece of paper on fire.

As a consequence, the fire alarm goes on and the security system is activated, throwing water everywhere in the warehouse, and causing the bomb to short-circuit, neutralizing it. At the same moment, another inmate, a mechanic who's voice sounds strangely familiar to Nobita (but he doesn't have the time to think about it), uses a small piece of barbed wire, that was hidden in his pocket, to quickly open the cage's door.

The guards are panicking. One of them rushes to close the security system, while the other goes keeping an eye on the prisoners. But it's too late : the mechanic has already unlocked the cage, allowing the inmates to break out, attacking the guard before he can draw his gun. They are able to overcome him and knock him out. But the other guard is already coming back, shooting at everything moving, forcing them to run and hide behind the crates. Nobita wants to protect himself by rushing inside one of them, where he finds a mirror...and it gives him another idea ! He calls up the guard :

Nobita : "Hey, you bastard ! Come over here ! Come kick my butt ! Chase me if you're a man !"

Infuriated, the guard heads to where he heard Nobita's voice, moving him away from the other inmate's hiding places. Meanwhile, Nobita places the mirror against a crate and silently evades the panicky guard, who's shooting in all directions with his gun, preventing him from hearing Nobita's footsteps, who's slowly turning round, finding himself behind the guard. At this precise moment, he waves his hands widly. When the guard reaches the place where he thinks Nobita is hiding, he sees his reflection in the mirror and loses his temper : he fires a full round of bullets in the mirror, letting Nobita the time to grab an fire-extinguisher to knock him out while reloading his weapon.

All of a sudden, two other guards, alerted by the gunshots, storm in the warehouse, their machine gun ready for a carnage. The mechanic, visibly worried about Nobita, rushes to him in an effort to protect him. But Nobita won't need it : he picks up the knocked guard's gun and at light's speed shot the two new-coming terrorists down, without leaving them the time to aim !

Nobita : "Sorry guys, you didn't make it ! I have nothing but two talents in my poor life. Unfortunately for you, one of them is marksmanship !", he says with a triumphant smile.

He turns over and is surprised to see everyone applauding him and giving a cheer about his successful escape and for defeating the terrorists.

Toshio : "Ya see ? It's even better than I expected ! Your powers are awesome ! Now, you gonna be able to stop these batty guys !"

Nobita : "I don't know if I can be proud of what I am after what you've done, but we'll talk about that latter ! You can count on me ! Now, I have to go ! There's a kind of ventilation system over there, use this to escape this damn complex and alert the police, starting with the Time Police !"

Toshio : "Don't you worry, I'll do my job now ! I will just add that there's another group of inmates to set free, they're held prisoners in research lab N°3 ! If you find a map, there's a circular room in the middle of the complex, it's there !...Good luck !"

Feeling the self-confidence rising for the first time, Nobita is now ready to imperil himself and to engage in a solo fight against the terrorists. He walks out the door of the warehouse, pushes the button and closes it behind him, ready to rush headlong into the fray...on his own.

[...]

**To be continued !**


	6. Conflicts Of Interest

**Chapter 6 :**** Conflicts Of Interest**

Tokyo's Stock Exchange, 1 p.m. It's been now more than 2 days since one of the most terrifying and incredible terrorist attack started. Inside this huge building in the core center of the world's biggest and most populated city, surrounded by an army of worn out policemen. Bulletproofs, machine guns, armored vehicles, helicopters, anti-criminal brigades, in addition to a hysterical crowd of vicious journalists, ready for the scoop of the century...every little detail and condition needed to recreate the scenery of a big-budget action blockbuster are here. Nothing had been forgotten and everyone's playing his role...

But there, fiction has turned into reality. About 300 policemen and officers, with the help of military officers, 3 helicopters and expert marksmen, hidden in the neighboring office and residential buildings, are trying to communicate with the terrorists, ignoring almost everything about them, their number, what they're doing and what are their intentions...Are they simple but very well-organized professional bank robbers ? Some dregs of society claiming revenge ? Anti-capitalists, determinate to cause an international stock market crash that would plunge the world into darkness and crisis ?

Nobody knows, but several lives are in danger. Almost all the Stock Exchange's bankers and working staff, in addition to dozens of civilians and passers-by, who found themselves trapped during the assault and the resulting battle, are held hostages inside the building. Negotiations between the two sides are at a complete standstill as the terrorists refuse to communicate, forcing the police to helplessly stay out of the fight, for fear that the hostages might be injured or killed. The whole world is nervously and anxiously watching the terrible scene, through the journalists' cameras. Everybody is on the alert, counting the minutes and praying for the hostages' sake...

Inside the building, the situation is quite tense. Visibly preoccupied, the terrorists are extremely rude and violent with the hostage. They are clearly warned against trying to escape or to get in a fight with them. Any sign of rebellion will lead to severe repression.

The terrorists are about twenty or so, very few compared to what's waiting for them outside. But it's largely offset by the high level of technological and military equipment, gear and hardware they have at their disposal. Armed with machine guns, knives, bazookas and a lot of high-tech gadgets, the trigger-easy terrorists are heavily armed and perfectly organized. Their plans seem to have been made up with utmost care, and no one knows about their true attentions.

Among the hostages is Nobita's family, along with his friends. The terrorists are training their guns on them and keeping an eye on them all the time. They try to whisper to each other...

Nobita's Mom : ''Is everyone okay ? No one is injured ?"

Shizuka : ''We're so hungry and tired ! I don't even remember how much time we've been prisoners here ; it's been so long !"

Suneo : ''Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get out of here alive !...Well, I hope !''

Gian : ''Ya kiddin' me ? Did you even see all their weapons ? We will be hammered to death if we even move a little bit ! Look at this one...it looks like he's trying to hack this computer, maybe they just want to burglar the bank, or something...''

Suneo : ''Gian, you fool, it's not a bank, it's a Stock Exchange ! If they hack the system, the whole world will be hit and the consequences shall be terrible !''

Mom : ''Please, do not always fear the worst ! We're still alive, and we have to keep hoping !...I just hope my little angel is alright too !...''

One of the terrorists (one wearing a red hood) : ''SHUT UP, YOU PESTE ! How dare you speak in my back ? Imma show you !''

Panicked, Mom is horrified and paralyzed with fear, and just have the time to cower into herself and to cover her face with her hand, begging the infuriated terrorist to forgive her. But he slaps her violently in her face and then raise his machine gun's butt, ready to hit her hard...But another terrorist, wearing a black hood this time grab his arm and stop him in extremis...

Red-hooded terrorist : ''What the hell are you doing ? How dare you stopping me like that ? You got a problem, hum ?'', he yells at the black-hooded one with a scornful voice, facing him and staring at him with his two eyes full of hatred.

Black-hooded terrorist : ''Don't you dare touch her, nor any of the hostages ! We're not merciless wild animal, treat them correctly !''

Red-hooded terrorist : ''You don't have to give me any order ! Go back to your work and let me the heck alone ; I do whatever I want !''

Black-hooded terrorist (provocative tone) : ''Ya think I'm afraid of you ? And when you talk about working, ya should give 'em some food and water instead of leaving them die shamefully ! As long as I'm here, you won't touch them, deal with it !''

Red-hooded terrorist (with a sadistic grin) : ''Is it a challenge ? Ya won't prevent me from having fun with my toys, you bastard !''

Black-hooded terrorist : ''I'll not let you stand in my way ; Ya will have to kill me first !''

Red-hooded terrorist (drawing his gun) : ''I think I can manage it !''

The two terrorists are ready to fight, frowning, grinding their teeth and staring at each other like in a western duel. Everyone, hostages and terrorists, is watching them, but they are quickly interrupted by their chief :

Chief : ''SHUT THE HELL UP, YA TWO ! Ya are troubling us in our work ! Do your jobs and stop behaving like bratty kids ! We've got no time to lose !''

Black-hooded terrorist : ''But...Yes, sir ! I'm going back to work...''

Red-hooded terrorist : ''You are lucky...We'll talk about that latter ! We have a world to change !''

Black-hooded terrorist : ''You're really getting cocky ! We just came here to steal some securities and to line our pockets !...Hey boss, that's what we came for, right ?''

Chief : ''Er..Yes, that's it ; we wanna be billionaires ! Are you distrusting me ? That's what I promised ya all !''

Black-hooded terrorist : ''I dunno...I feel like you're not telling me the whole truth !''

Chief : ''The only thing I'm hiding away from you is my furious desire to shoot your head up with one of my gun's bullets...And it may become reality if you keep annoying me or dares to talk about me like that again ! So now, clear off and stick to your job, if you don't want me to redecorate the wall with your brain juice !''

He doesn't answer, lowers his head as a sign of respect and turns back, getting out of the engine room, where the hostage are held and the terrorists working on a mysterious task, obviously something like hacking the stock exchange security system...

The chief looks preoccupied and worried, whispering something to the red-hooded terrorist. Suneo quietly manages to get closer and is only able to hear half of the chief's last sentence :

''...pain in the neck, we'll act as expected. If nothing turns out wrong in our projects, they'll never know about our secret plans !''

Suneo (talking to himself) : ''Hmm...it looks like they are all plotting against each other...It's a bad sign !...''

[…]

**Meanwhile, in the underground complex...**

[…]

Nobita has been on his own for more than an hour now. Still wandering in the everlasting corridors of this huge complex. He has already visited several engine and working rooms, in addition to finding himself blocked in a lot of dead ends. Nobita doesn't lose hope and copes with the fact that he's obviously lost !

While working in a part of the complex that seems to have been abandoned for a while, judging by the shabby covered with moss wall, the leaking rusted mains, the crackling full of holes ceiling and the horrible smell of dampness. Some soil is falling from the ceiling, and Nobita thinks he better run before the whole place collapses. But as he walks beside a puddle, he pauses and then keeps walking, finally finding a trap door to escape this dirty place. In the puddle, the reflect of a security camera can be seen...

Now out in a better part of the complex, Nobita keeps walking. He pauses again, sits down for a short break and his thoughts go straight to his family again...But how can he focus on his task if he thinks about something that painful and dreadful for himself ? He slaps himself and gets up...But he quickly has to runs in the first hiding place he finds (behind a pipe), alone in a dark hallway, as he's hearing someone approaching. A shadow takes shape on the wall at the very end of the hallway, the only source of light. A man appears, walking like in a state of inebriation, holding a bottle and smoking a cigarette. He settles against the wall, and throws his cigarette on the ground when he hears a sound from his radio. He grabs it and answers :

Guard : ''G..G...Guard O...one listening !'', he answers, stammering.

Voice : ''Beware, everyone ! One of the prisoner cage has been opened, they all escaped ! And we found four of us are knocked-down. Their weapons are missing : there's someone among us that's hiding in the complex. Find him and kill him ! Over.''

The drunk guard drops his radio and lights up another cigarette, staging hysterically and playing with his gun :

Guard : ''Roger that, baby ! Imma kick him hard ! Did you hear that, furball ? I...I wanna play with you...Come here and let's play, I'll show you who's the strongest !'', he says with a strong voice, waving his fists like he's doing boxing.

Nobita's got no time to lose but he could use the radio...and also the guard's clothes to merge among the terrorists. Hidden in the dark, he waits until the drunk guard reaches his position, bursts out and knocks him down with the grip of his gun...

Nobita : ''That's what I call getting a grip !''

Nobita's humor quickly turns to grouchiness, since he has to drag the guard's body through the hallway to the light, so that he can undress him and takes his clothes (which stinks a lot), and finally dragging it back in the dark to hide the body...

Nobita (protecting his nose) : ''Geez, he's not half-heavy ! And such stinky breath...They should be doing exercises like this at school, it would definitely disgust everyone from drinking !''

Now equipped with a radio, Nobita follows the hallway until he reaches an iron door already half-open and get through it, ending in a machine room that looks more like a futuristic museum ! It's full of unknown science fiction movies-like technologies and related to a huge computer...Nobita cannot believe his eyes and feels like he already saw that kind of stuff before...

Nobita : ''I'm not a genie with computer-related technologies, but it clearly looks like the equipment used by time criminals ! I've already seen this kind of machination before...And this host computer, Doraemon told me something about it, but I don't remember...Oh, I don't give a damn, I better call the police ! I remember the frequency they use to communicate, thanks to the numerous action films I've seen on TV ! Let's see...There !...''

Nobita gets ready to speak and tries to think about what he's going to say :

''Hello, is there anyone listening ? Please, answer, it's an emergency !''

Police officer : ''This is the police speaking ! Decline identity, you're on a police frequency !''

Nobita : ''Hello ! I've got no time to identify, you need to know that...''

Police officer : ''Whoever you are, please decline identity ! It's a police frequency, used only by the police in case of emergency !''

Nobita : ''NO KIDDING ! Guess what, I'm calling to book a seat at the Opera ! […] There's a nuclear thread on Tokyo, is that urgent enough for you ?!''

Police officer : ''This is the last warning, decline identity straight away !''

Nobita doesn't answer and shut his radio, getting his nerves on the floor, taping his feet in a sign of anger, dead tired...

Nobita : ''Well, well, well ; I guess I'm on my own now...AS USUAL ! Why is life always so complicated ? […] Oh well, I guess it's become I've always been lazy, stupid me !''

Determinate to continue and to resolve the mystery of this strange complex, as well as foiling the terrorists' plans, Nobita reloads his gun and goes back to exploring the underground research installation...without noticing that he's watched closely...

He wanders endlessly. Turns back, climbs over a wall, creeping through the ventilation shafts, turn on the left, then on the right, jumps over another pipe, finds himself lost in a huge warehouse with dozens of locked doors, finds a manhole, makes his way through the drains, turns back again...For hours, he feels like going round in circles aimlessly...without noticing that he's watched closely...!He's got a gun in his hand ; nothing in life is worth enough for him, he could easily give in to temptation and turn his gun against him, inserting it in his mouth and pulling the trigger...It would be all over ! After all, what's happening to him is nothing but a kind of ''best of'' all the bad things, luck and deeds that ruined his life. He got himself in the worst situation ever, and somehow that's exactly the way he thought his life would end.

But the others have the right to live, and Nobita is the only one that could possibly give billions of people the opportunity not to join him in death. He wants to fulfill this ultimate, but incredibly oppressive responsibility before leaving, not giving up the hope of finally succeeding in his goal...

[…]

**Meanwhile, in the main control center of the complex...**

[…]

At the core center of the complex, three men are watching an army of computer, radar and monitoring screens. They have access to all the complex and everything occurring in any part of it will come straight to their eyes (or their ears). That way, they can follow Nobita's slightest actions & gestures. Among them, a sturdy-looking middle-aged man, wearing a fur coat, is grinning and bearing the 10-year-old boy's actions, watching him evolve in the with meticulous care...He's the supreme leader of the terrorist...

The Leader : ''Well, that's a very unexpected troublemaker we've got here ! I must admit I'm a little embarrassed to see that snotty-nosed kid displaying his talents of budding superhero ! That small child overpowered five of our men, it's quite ridiculous, humiliating and...funny, I must admit !''

The second-in-command : ''I wait for your orders, master ! Do we proceed to his elimination ?''

The Leader (Taikan) : ''Yuko, my friend, you can call me Taikan ! Between us, let's forget about these dumb hierarchic relations ! Don't be so eager, you'll have the occasion to display your torture and killing skills ! But as a future world supreme commander, I need to get used to this brand new life. I wanna have fun, I want to see how much time he'll survive ; let's start now !''

Yuko : ''If I may say so, I think that kind of game is dangerous ! Not because of that stupid kid, but because we have a deadline, and time is against us ! We have to hurry before our enemies find out about our plans !''

Taikan : ''What do you fear again ? Everything went right so far, why would it suddenly change like this ? Tokyo is living its last hours ; and when sunset comes, our power will strike our enemies straight in the heart. Nothing will stop us from taking over the world !''

Yuko : ''You don't know about it yet...''

Yuko is getting too outspoken and disturbing for Taikan, who rudely sends him packing :

Taikan (irritated) : ''Enough of that ! No more arguments ! You can protest as much as you like, but I decide, not you ! Now leave me alone ! […] And since you're that eager to have a fight with that brat, then go ahead ! I give you the responsibility of overseeing that the second group of prisoners will be kept under good guard !

Yuko (flabbergasted) : ''B...But...''

Taikan : ''Hurry up before I get cross and blow a fuse ! […] That young boy will be likely trying to set them free. He seems to be excellent at shooting. We'll see if you're as skilled in marksmanship as you pretend to be ! Run off !''

Yuko is ready to explode and would likely punch his headman in the face, but he's got no other choice than obeying unwillingly, rejoining his fellows in the complex's boiler room, where the prisoners are held captives...

Meanwhile, Taikan ensconces himself, ready to start his "cat & mouse" game with Nobita, who's still wrestling to find the way out of the labyrinth he's stuck in, and, like Yuko, so eager to have a big fight !

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	7. Revelations

**Chapter 7 : Revelations**

Hours have passed and Nobita is still wandering throughout the complex, without a clue, where's been stuck for 2 days now. He doesn't have half a chance to escape it alive and is already getting ready for not seeing the sun shining and feeling the clear and plain air on the surface, outside this horrible oppressive rusted underground prison of ill fame.

Yet's there's still hope for him to accomplish what he intended (and still intends) to do : nothing less important than...just saving the world ! And for the tired and exhausted, but courageous and even excited ten-year-old boy, each minute counts ! His chances to get along and succeeding are smaller than a sand grain on a beach, and these are growing weaker over time, as the terrorists are getting ready to fulfill their Machiavellian plan to turn the city into a blazing cataclysm and setting the whole world on fire. Compared to what he has to fight against, Nobita looks tiny, invisible and insignificant...what he will precisely advantage him, and possibly let him gain the upper hand in his favor...

But as he's losing his temper after all this vain and worthless researches that drove him mad, winning up completely lost while the world is on the borderline of World War 3, Nobita is still thinking about his lost friend Doraemon. What would the latter be doing in such a predicament ? After all, he spent all the last year shaping up and turning his life around ; Only Nobita was (and is still) able to get in so bad situation so many times, and Doraemon went on to learn how to escape from the trouble Nobita often caused him and his friends.

But Doraemon, despite all his qualities and talents, almost always owed his life from all the incredible gadgets he had with him, very useful things when you do anything with Nobita, from going for a simple walk to living another loopy adventure somewhere in the universe...And there, Doraemon is gone forever and no one will come to Nobita's help. [...] And of course, there's another problem !

Nobita looks carefully at every single little detail that could help him find his way back and head to the Research lab N°3 (where all the remaining staff of the complex is still held captives and in great danger), like possible notices or inscriptions on the wall, or maybe some signals or marks on the floor, like in a factory, that would give him one direction where to go. While relying on his sense of touch to get his bearing in fully darkened damp hallway, his hand comes to mat in a spider's web and causes Nobita to panic as he feels the sticky substance. He runs like a prey running away from a dangerous predator and accidentally trips over what happens to be a step. He gets up,, waves his hands in front of him, notice a kind of hole the wall (an entrance in another room in fact) and walks straight ahead, entering the room, totally blind as there's no light in the whole sector.

Nobita (thinking and dizzy) : ''I got the hell a shock ! Geez...Able to neutralize and overpower several armed terrorists and almost having a heart attack because of...a spider ? My upside down life is getting more and more interesting !'', he thinks, ironically.

He clutches to the wall, the time to get summon up his strength after his little misadventure in the dark and tries to calm down...But he feels something strange behind him, something he firmly holds on to, keeping his balance in the gloom. His hands mess around on that mysterious object, he presses a kind of button and a sudden lightning briefly lights up the room. Scared and bombarded by this violent burst of light, Nobita closes his eyes and rubs them, almost falling down again. He feels like he just woke up but still glad to have finally found a light source...He switches on the light again after a while and start exploring the small stockroom...where he finds a map of the complex !

He feels so happy that he wants to kiss the floor but he quickly brings himself to his senses...and the seriousness of the situation. He watches the map and thanks to Toshio's informations, he locates the big circular room in the middle of the complex, the one Toshio told him about, the site where the Research lab N°3 is. But strangely, this site's name is ''Boiler room''. And wherever he looks on the map, there's nothing related to research laboratories or anything related...

Nobita : ''That's not clear...Why isn't that map showing all these laboratories ? Either the map is wrong and I'm losing my time...or this stupid crummy complex isn't a damn research center !...I feel like I've been tricked once again ! It's driving me out of my mind !''

He takes a short break and then winds the map, holding it underneath his arm, after memorizing the path to the boiler room...

Nobita : ''I just hope I won't be like I used to be in that kind of situation : forgetful ! That's what Doraemon always told me, whether I was losing my money or skipping my homework...''

He pauses, dries a small tear popping up in his eyes and looks at the long hallway he's about to follow to his destination :

''Poor Doraemon, if only he were here now, He'd know how to put an end to all this mess ! How dumb I was always relying on him, waiting to be babied and pesting him to get whatever I wanted...Oh I miss him terribly ! […] But anyway, all the time he's been with me, his life was like this everlasting dark hallway, but now that he's gone away from the trouble-maker he used to protect, he's out of this, at least !''

Nobita is still unsure : will he be able to remember ? But how can he defend himself with his gun if he keeps holding the map with his two hands ? He doesn't have the right to fail such a ridiculous way, even though he's used to this ! He folds the map up and withdraws it in his pocket. Before leaving, he takes some tool that he thinks he made need and which can be put in his other pocket, like a scotch tape and a screwdriver...Now he's ready to go ! [...]

After a while, Nobita reaches a crossing junction of several hallways and corridors, going in all directions. He still remembers the direction to go to, but this is the first of a long series of junctions. Nobita is angry about always feeling lost despite having a map and starts to have doubts about the true reasons why this complex was built :

Nobita : ''I really wonder...Is it a labyrinth ? It's the heck big, dread and dreary here ! Everything is the same and not even a single damn indication !...One day, Doraemon told me a kind of labyrinth story about a mythological myth, something like that...But I don't remember ! And...and these clothes really sticks itching all over !...If only there was a guard over there, not drunk, a dwarf-sized one ; I'd take his clothes, clothes that would FIT to me and not stink that hard ! I know I deserve to die, but not with a fit of suffocating ! […]

Oh dammit, I'll care about it later, now I bet...''

But he closes his mouth as he hears a voice from one of the corridors on his left...He tiptoes back in the hallway he came by and finds a slightly-lit gutter. A guard comes to the junction, turns his head on the right, on the left and stares at the hallway straight ahead. He looks dumb but violent and cruel. He's about to draw his torch to light up the place but he's called back but another guard :

Guard 1 : ''Hey bastard, come back here ; our poker game isn't over and I was about to spank you hard ! C'mon, don't tell me you're afraid of a nasty rat !'', he says while grinning and lighting up a cigaret.

Guard 2 : ''Shut the hell up, you grag ! And point that bazooka at someone else's head ; it's dangerous !'', he answers scornfully while waving his hand to move the cigaret smoke away.

Guard 2 : ''I sense you are terrified ! Ya know, he's just a snobbish kid ! I'm sure he's pooping his pants in a gloomy room and crying for his mom to come and help him out ! I just can't wait to meet that meaty ball, I need a new punching ball !''

Both guards laugh very hard, their conversion reflecting the level of intelligence, which must be...close to zero !

Nobita : ''And I thought I was the stupidest on Earth...Maybe that what I would have become as an adult ; that's not pretty attractive !'', he whispers to himself while slowly and carefully walking as silently as a monk in a church to reach the crossing between Nobita's hallway and the guards', slowly sticking out his head just to let his eyes spying the two pigs while they are talking to each other...And they actually have a bazooka, and a big one ! There's no way to pass without a fight...Nobita will have to come to blows (and ballets) if he wants to go on...But Nobita his disadvantaged : they wear bulletproof vests and just behind them is a lamp that sharply light up the terrorists' position. He would badly burn his eyes just trying to aim !

Getting Giving up ? No way ! Nobita elaborates a strategy, that happens to be completely stupid, risky, twisted, nonsense, insane and...well suicidal ! But it may be working...While he was furtively watching them, Nobita's ear was squeezed against the wall, letting him hear some machine sounds and noises through them, obviously coming from a close machine room : the walls are probably hollow and not very resistant...And before spying the guards, Nobita notices some metal sheets in the hallways...The guard are still yelling and laughing hard while going back to their card game, covering the noise from Nobita's work. They are not aware that Nobita is silently gathering some of these metal sheets, using his scotch to hook them to his back...

Nobita's plan is risky but there's not a million ways !

Nobita : ''Hey, you jerks ! Ya talkin' 'bout me ? Ya wanna spank me ? Then come and catch me !'', Nobita says with a provocative and upsetting voice, while bursting out of his hallway and showing himself to the two guards, wincing and grinning like a naughty kid ready for another bad action.

Speechless, unbelieving and immediately infuriated, the two guards' faces turns to deep red has they're feeling so humiliated to be treated that way, grinding their teeth, not sensing the trap Nobita is setting for them. The guard with the bazooka loses his temper and points his gun at him :

Guard : ''Jerk yourself ! Just don't move, and I'll stuff your ass with that rocket ! Imma blow your butt up !'', as he takes his aim at Nobita, who's still standing still in front of them.

Preventing the other guard from helping him, desiring to keep the fun for himself, he shoots out a rocket, fired straight at Nobita. But the latter anticipated it ! Just at the moment he pulls the trigger, Nobita jumps out of his position, fell on the ground and smashes into it. This belly land lets only his back, protected by the metal sheets, exposed to the fragments and the violent projections from the detonating blast, as the rocket hits the wall just behind Nobita and causes a big part of to fly into pieces. The heavy explosion shakes the whole area, vibrations and micro-earthquakes make the hallway tremble, and soon the place is invaded by a thick suffocating smoke cloud, forcing the terrorists to lower their guard, blinding them. Some dust falls down from the ceiling, the opposite wall to the one hit by the rocket cracking and the bulb from the lamp lighting the area was broken by the shock...

Nobita makes the most of the situation and in a few second gets up and flees taking shelter in the machine room behind the now destroyed wall. There, he gets rid of the metal sheets and manages to find a door that allows him to get out of the room...and ending up just behind the guards, where they would stand when they played their card game. One of them realizes that they've been tricked and, noticing Nobita's shadow through the remaining smoke of the explosion, rushes at him but a bullet shot from Nobita's gun definitely cools his ardors off.

Alerted by the fire shoot, the bazooka guard turns over and sees Nobita : it's now his turn to take his aim at him ! But there's something wrong, as nothing comes out ; Nobita's weapon is jammed !

Nobita (panicking) : ''Naaaah, don't tell me it's not working ! That's a freakin' bad JOKE !''

Guard : ''That's what we call luck, and yours is over, as well as your life ! Ya gonna pay for this, and for my ***** pal you just killed ! TAKE THAT !''

Beside himself and completely losing control, he loads his fist with all his strength, power and hatred, and (tries to) hit Nobita, who's cornered between the guard and the wall behind him. During this single micro-second, Nobita feels like it's the end for him. His life is scrolling, memories thronged in, the souvenirs come and go...the last of them being the karate training seance he witnessed ! This precise memory comes to life and the fighting techniques that Nobita saw and unconsciously memorized and stored in his his unconscious are activated, like a mechanical and animal reflex when you're facing danger and death.

Nobita gets down and ducks the punch, letting it crash into the concrete wall. The terrorist's face winces in pain, his eyes are filled with tears and a horribly fierce scream floods the whole area. The guard, yelling at Nobita, shaking and clenching his bloody fist furiously. A third guard, in pajamas as he's just has just been awaken by all the exploding rushes to the rescue, attacking Nobita is the back.

But the now enraged with pain guard tries to high kick Nobita, but the latter avoids his attack again, this time by jumping aside. The third guard, rather thin, puny and weakling, takes it right in the gob and is thrown back against the way, definitely down and out. Realizing his mistake, he moans and blames himself for missing his target again, and gets even angrier but also easier to counter his attacks again.

Nobita, not really understanding why, feels like it's time to finish him as he's given the opportunity : He charges the guard and violently hit the terrorist's crotch, then crushes one of his feet.

The guard yells in pain again, hoping as he tries to ease the pain of his foot, his other hand covering his crotch. Weakened by the pain, he trips over his own bazooka and falls down. His head hits the floor and he's instantly knocked out...

Nobita rubs his eyes, as it proves to be difficult for him to believe what he has just done. He stares at the bodies on the floor : he can add three more terrorists to his list of neutralized evil guys !

Nobita (dazed, with clipped voice) : ''H...Ho...How...How ON EARTH was I able to do such a thing ? Gian was a baby compared to that pile of muscles ! […] So that's how they feel when they fight and train, these karatekas !...''

''I...just won ! How fabulous and...scary ! What have I become ? Is that really me ? Oh my, if only I had this talent from the very beginning of my life, it would have been better for me !''

He stays there for a while, standing still. His thoughts are tumbling out inside his mind : is he dreaming or was he really able of doing what he has just done ? He feels ill-at-ease, unsure, uncertain and muddled. He doesn't know what's right and what's wrong in what he's doing and doesn't like the way things are turning out. He's afraid, of himself, of what he became, about the incredible but now wasted life he could have lived...He feels pain deep inside, but also fear and anxiety. He knows what will happen if he fail, what is most likely to happen. He's concerned and worried about everything...All these things that he has learned and been through during the last day, all what is at stake...depending on him only...he's not matched for such a terrible responsibility !

But he needs to hold on ! Thanks to his new capacities, he envisages a possible increase in his chances to succeed...Now he's got to raise his head and keep doing what he's always done so far : having driven without sticking at anything !

**[…]**

**Meanwhile, at the Stock Exchange...**

**[…]**

Police Officer : ''You are trapped ! You'll never get out of here alive ! All our weapons are aimed at you, no one comes in, no one comes out ! Set the hostages free and surrender without a fight, and no one will be harmed ! […] Are you listening ?''

Baiko : ''Iemoshi (the one who tried to harm Nobita's Mom), please, teach these damned cops to shut their mouths ! I've had enough of them now !''

Iemoshi (loading his weapon and smiling) : ''With pleasure !''

He and several terrorists (all wearing red hoods) get armed, open the windows and let guns to the talking :

Police Officer (looking at the opening windows) : ''I wonder if they're about to ans...OH CRAP ! Take cover, guys !''

The terrorists blow the fuses, open fire, unleashing an infernal diabolical deluge of lead all over the place the police is occupying ; they just have the time to take shelter behind their cars. The burst shots turning them into colanders riddled with bullets, panes splinter and shatter in pieces, some cars catch fire. As the rain of bullets keeps ringing out and spraying the whole area, the policemen are out of touch, overwhelmed, unable to answer back, fearing to be hit while getting defenseless to be able to respond the attack.

During five long minutes, the robbers fire several full rounds of bullets at the whole district, wildly shooting at random at every car and individual they would catch sign off around the streets, without distinctions or mercy, not making the difference between civilians and cops...

The carnage ends with the throwing of a grenade with its pin pulled out, which winds up near an armored patrol van, utterly pulverized by the blast. The projections and fragments ejected all over the place by the explosion cause serious scathing and damaging picture windows, several shops and the majority of the vehicles out there. Some policemen are down, injured, sometimes badly. The stunting sound of the ambulances rings out and invade the streets...

In the neighboring buildings, the snipers are on the alert, nervously training their sniper rifles on the targets, ready to pull the trigger, but unable to act and eliminate them, for fear that the hostages' lives may be endangered...The police forces, despite their power and numerical superiority, finds themselves taken hostages, obliged to react and face this new thread, but kept at bay by their own goal to come to the rescue and bring back the hostages safe and sound...The situation is obviously far from changing for the better !

Baiko (lighting a cigarette) : ''Well done, boy ! This should cool them off !''

Still trapped and held captives, now moved into one of the numerous computer rooms in the upper floors of the Stock Exchange building, Nobita's friends and parents, extremely weakened, starving and almost dehydrated, are strung out. The deafening sounds from the recent shootout are still resounding deep in their ears, reminding them of the dreadful predicament they're stuck in...

Suneo, who's keeping a curious and observant eye on each terrorist, paying a close attention to one of them, the red-hooded man standing beside a window, protector of Nobita's Mom when she was assaulted by Iemoshi and having already tried to porter assistance, seems to be quite skeptical about this conflict's issue...

His face his hidden under a black hood, but his eyes are visible, betraying a feeling of uneasiness and fright. Son regard seems to roam around, hovering between the outside carnage he would gladly go without, and what's going on inside...

He seriously feels concerned about the hostage's (surviving)living conditions , das well as the big tension prevailing among the terrorist, who seems to be quite divided by a harsh rigid hierarchy, shown by the colors of their hoods. The red-hooded men, authoritative, violent, brutal and merciless, often hanging around Baiko, are obviously the leading terrorists. The others, dressed like revolutionaries and black-hooded, staying in the background, working hard on mysterious tasks, look calmer and more moderate, eager to get it over. Some of them tries to get in touch with the hostages when the leaders' backs are turned, trying to reassure them and explaining their patterns...

And there's no exception for the one Suneo's watching ! While Baiko and his henchmen are conversing with each other, he approaches them and from a small bag slung over his shoulder, he takes out water flask and some chips packets he stole from a broken automatic distributor.

The Man : ''There, take them ! Make haste and consume them fast, Baiko forbids us to talk to the hostages !...

Mom : ''T..Thank you for what you do, Mr...Mr ?''

Hanz : ''Call me Hanz.''

Gian : ''Ain't you Japanese ?''

Hanz : ''I'm of German Origin, by born in Japan...Like the most of us, dregs of society...''

Nobita's Dad : ''Is that the reason why you guys caused such a mess and took us hostage like this ?''

Hanz (Checking if no one's coming) : ''If only you knew everything about us...From the very beginning, Human Societies were created, developed and always prospered thanks to us, anonymous and ordinary people. We've always been mistreated and exploited by huge unscrupulous corporations, led by crooked capitalists. We are their they labor force, or we should say their slaves ! They abuse us, underpay us, leading us with an iron hand to keep us unskilled and depending on them. They drag our names in the mud grow fat and super rich, living off our hard work ! We live in misery and they don't care about us ! Our families are starving and the system rejects them ! We have to wrestle, in a daily fight to feed our closes, to satisfy our needs, to educate our children, to have access to security and a good heath...to SURVIVE ! […]

We are banal workers, salesmen, dustmen, laborers...And our daily life is made of unemployment, job insecurity, violence, neglect, distrust from society, crisis, lack of money, fear of losing the few we have left, fear of ending dying in the streets...Meanwhile, some rich and very famous people gather all the resources and the wealth of the world in their hands and let the other die in HELL !

He pauses to have a drink. Suneo wishes he were as tiny as an atom, feeling pointed at as the only one from a wealthy family. He truly feels guilty about this and he'd love to give a hand to these poor people :

Hanz : ''Our lives aren't worth anything in this world...So we've got nothing to lose !''

Mom : ''But I guess you are aware the people here are not responsible for this ! And all these crimes you are committing, you really think they will help you live better ?''

Hanz : ''Because you really think we're acting so smiling ? We all wish we were able to act in another way...even not to act at all ! But we're all condemned, and it's really out of the goodness of our hearts !''

This last sentence undermines Nobita's Mom, reminding her of her poor lost son : His letter seemed to reflect the same feeling of being strung out...

Shizuka : ''Out of the goodness of our hearts ? We can say that what we've seen so far ! Why are you doing so much harm to us ?''

He looks uncertain, unable to argue back ; He gets closer and whispers to everyone's ears :

Hanz : ''Between you and me, I think the operation is compromised...Us, we are the "Revanchists", we wanted to avenge ourselves from this corrupted and unequal society by attacking its pillar and main foundations : Finance ! We wanted to seize control of the world's biggest Stock Exchange, spread a virus inside the system and causes an economic crisis, that would force both public opinion and worldwide government to react, unit and learn their lesson about the instability and imperfection of the society we're living in. […] They consider us hopeless...We'll show them how wrong they are !

And also to help ourselves, we've got mouths to feed ! But I don't make it secret that I sense there's something wrong with these blokes...

Suneo : ''The red-hooded ones ?'' he says pointing them.

Hanz : ''Don't ya do that, you fool ! Don't you ever mess around with them, not even looking into their eyes ! Those guys are former veterans, professionals who fought during the Vietnam war, and during several coups d'état in Africa too ! They are Baiko's personal guard, his protectors, his bodyguards (our chef). They are behind all of this, they organized our plans..but I've got the feeling that they are cooking up something secretly...They is something fishy about their attitude...I just hope they won't jeopardize OUR plans ! […]

However that may be or end, I swear I'll do everything I can to make sure you won't be harmed again ! But please, I beg you to be careful ; don't draw their attention or you'll bring down their wrath !

As some Bodyguards are coming in and getting closer, he walks away slowly and goes back on duty...

Hanz (discreetly) : ''I hope you'll forgive us and understand my point of view !''...

Alone again and decided to follow his advices, the hostages consume their supplies and conceal what's left underneath their clothes, waiting regularly (and for the terrorists on guard to pass along) to sustain again...

Dad : ''Let's eat fast ; we need to got our strengths back and keep our chins up ! Hold on, I'm sure the cops we come to rescue us...Well, I hope...'', he says before pouncing on the food, under everyone's filled with doubts eyes...

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	8. Cat & Mouse Game

**Chapter 8 : Cat And Mouse Game**

Outside, the sky is glorious, the dazzling Sun is shinning brightly and there's no clouds to block it's warming rays. Soothed by the birds' chirping and the beauty of blossoming trees, the Earth is full of life...

Inside, the atmosphere is sweltering, tiresome and terribly boring. A classroom, damp and musty, wall off between cold and shabby walls, covered with graffiti...

Sensei (calling) : ''All right class, show me all your homework, which I hope is done properly. Which one of you will come to the board and recite his lesson ?''

Suneo raises his hand, self-confident and proud, but Sensei turns him down :

Sensei : "Good, very good Suneo, but I think you shall agree with me if I tell you today is a special day : there's someone among us who's dying to exhibit his wonderfully and ridiculously undone homework..NOBITA !"

Nobita doesn't answer, slumped on his desk, in a complete daze, doesn't react...

Sensei (colérique) : NO-BI-TAAAAAAAAA ! How dare you sleeping in my class ? I'll teach you...!...And to start, you are the best of the class in with your last test once again...starting from the end !"

Nobita (waking up with a star) : "Hum..W...What ? What's going o...?...Awful dream...the bomb..."

This confusing and foolish speech causes general hilarity, but Sensei is far from finding it funny :

Sensei : "Look everyone, this is the perfect archetypal example of what failure is ! Nobita, you should be ashamed, your poor mother will be turning in her grave !"

Nobita : "How dare you insulting my mother ? She'll never...nev...endure me..."

Sensei : "Your "mother" ? Awww, just listen to the lovely mama's boy ! Gian, please, would you have the kindness to open the door ? Let's show Nobita what his family actually thinks of its adorable dud !", he says with a sadistic voice.

Gian obeys happily, opening the door little-by-little...Nobita panics, freaked out and feeling threatened by so much hatred and contempt, but unable to defend himself...A very powerful storm brutally raises, a tornado uproots the trees and demolish the walls, the ceiling and the whole school except the class are blown off, the windows are pulverized and a lightning hits Nobita, tearing up his clothes without killing him...

Sensei (now as the terrorists' leader) : "Dang, Zeus himself cannot kill you, is that so complicated to understand ? It sticks out a mile...JUST DIE ! We don't need a moron like you on Earth !"

Each pupil metamorphoses into a hooded terrorist, jubilant to see Nobita half-naked...The door is now open and Nobita winces in terror : Mom appears to him, a pistol in one hand, a detonator in the other hand. She presses it after glaring at him, with a freezing furious look, while Nobita's holding out his arms, as a desperate act to reach her out, but held up by the wind...A nuclear blast disintegrates Tokyo, resulting in everyone around Nobita to shriek with laughter :

Mom : "Noooobita, you're still standing ? Ladies and Gentlemen, the explosion didn't work, help me finish him off ! I let you choose : fire or radiations !

Each terrorist draws a flame-thrower and take aim at Nobita, who's yelling and begging with all his might...

The Terrorists : "Take that !"

Nobita (burning) : "NOOOOOOOOOOOO !"

**[...]**

Brutal change of scene : a hallway with a futuristic look, walls painted in white et covered with various equipment, cables and pipes. Some green lights illuminate the ceiling, where a dozen security cameras are, visibly out of service, as they don't seem to have located the young boy, dozing against a wall, suddenly waking up at a start :

Nobita (yelling) : "Ahhhhhh...", placing his hand to cover his screaming, almost as a reflex...

"What a horrible nightmare, and...Oh my God, I slept ! How much time ? Damn, I don't know ! [...Nobita raises his head...] And these cameras, still not operational ? I really wonder if...Nah, I must be dreaming...well I was !"

Nobita curiously doesn't seem to find it that bad, put his hand on his forehead, wiping up the heat popping up on his face, and then deliberately settle in the part of the hallway exposed to the cameras' field of angle (for an unknown reason) for a while, the time for his heart to go back to beating normally and for him to get back in shape...Following which he verifies if he's still got the map with him, before moving on...

Nobita (Moving forward again) : "Hmm...that's quite awkward, I'm stuck underground and I don't even know what happens (or happened) on the surface !..."

Still very unquiet and distressed about this new dreadful experience, Nobita staggers and bumbles through several hallways, before ending up in front of an odd airlock, looking more like a laboratory entrance. Nobita examines it with meticulous care, studying in minute details, and then notices that the airlock's entrance is locked by screen with touch command : he needs a terrorist's hand to be identified as one of them and be allowed in...There's also a keyboard, probably used to input a password as an alternative to the touch screen...a password Nobita doesn't have, of course !

He's got no choice : above the airlock, a notice indicates that the access to the boiler room is one the other site of it, in the B sector of the complex...Nobita takes his map and sees that the indications are right, it's the only direction he can take !

Nobita feels hassled, but doesn't lose his head : he explores surroundings of the airlock, then the different hallways and doors, leading the many other rooms, which are themselves linked and connected with others...Nobita is ready to flip out and prefer turning back. Before returning to the airlock, he notes that there's a hole in the wall just next to him, from which a ray of light is seeping in...It's small by his head seems to be same-sized, so he gets down and, like an indiscreet mischievous child, gets his head in and starts to spy what appears to be a kind of guard inspection.

These, standing at attention, inspected by a chef fully dressed in red, a big fat git his face scarred by a horrid grin, yelling after them and taking stock...

Inspector : "Okay, you band of moronic douche bags ; listen to me carefully : the prisoners are in the boiler room. Nobody comes in, nobody comes out, including this little nipper ! You'll keep an eye on them and you are not allowed to do anything else until he comes, he you'll be waiting for him, ready to take off his pants and give him a big spanking ! No mercy ! EXECUTION !

Nobita (thinking) : "Which is my bottom always these guys' main subject of interest ? And what an odious person...The army is made of cheerleaders compared to those hateful guys !"

Inspector : "...And unless you have no choice, or in case of countermand from me alone, just manage to capture him alive ; I want him for me ! [He says with a delighted smile] And never forget, we have a goal to reach, a destiny to follow ; our actions will forever change the course of the world's fate ! And nothing must come in our way, nor our beloved Lord's ! DISMISS !, he howls, looking disgusted...

The Guards : "WIN OR DIE, THE WORLD IS OURS !"

Nobita (A lump in his throat) : "My, they are really not easy-going ! And I thought I was dealing with maladjusted killers..."

One of the guards accost the inspector while he grabs a whiskey bottle from a crate next to him :

Guard : "Sir, might I ask you a question ?

Inspector : "You've got 10 seconds ! Hurry the hell up !"

Guard : "Do you really think this kid's got the slightest chance against us ?

Visibly amused by this question he was almost anticipating, he energetically taps his shoulder :

Inspector : "My boy, if our Lord were here, I'd say it's dangerous to underestimate an adversary. But now, But there, I'll content myself with saying that this kid, like you said, has got maybe two hours left to live, at most ! And it's quite obviously to he totally ignores why he's still alive, as well as our plans...Do you imagine ? A poor little boy, he's lost in a hostile world he's never seen but in action movies...And what about the all the electronically locked doors and airlocks ? I don't think he's an expert in hacking !...,He says while drinking...

The guard struggles and does all he can do not to wave his hand and hold his nose...

Inspector : ''And I don't think he knows about our creed ! It's the only way to actually clear the obstacles separating him from his goal, which is very incapacitating when you're not an expert in hacking, isn't it true ?...Now piss off, I want to booze and celebrate my future victory on my own !''

This incomprehensible last sentence lets the guard doubtful about what he meant ; he retires in great haste. Nobita, who's also racking his brain trying to understand the inspector's words, keeps observing the scene, though it's no more interesting as everyone except a now completely drunk drunkard, has left...

However, he notices that this vast area where the terrorists met looks strangely like a aircraft hangar. And by observing carefully far off, he sees a kind of sophisticated science-fiction movie-like plane, rather a kind of drone in fact. All around is military equipment, tons of equipment ! High-tech weapons, computers, some strange things looking like radars, dozens of crates with ammunition written on them, javelins, and even some medical and missile technologies...A full supply of arsenal, an army without a nation !

Nobita (astonished) : ''But what the devil did they plan to do with all this ? Invading Mars ? […] Oh, to hell with them ! Anyway, there's an aircraft here. And unless they have elevators as large as my house, it must be an aircraft hangar...surely on the side of a mountain ! If we're so close from the surface, I'd have certainly been awoken by a tremor if the bomb had exploded ! So it's not too late yet !''

Nobita gets his head out of the hole and heads back to the airlock, but with his problem still unanswered...

Nobita : "Hmm...I dunno ! I don't have Gian's strength, and I think even him wouldn't be able to break the airlock's entrance down...'Our creed', What did he meant by this ?...Creed, what's the meaning of this word...Sensei told us about it during one of his lessons...I just had the time to hear a part of a definition before fainting in boredom...Like the rules, the ambitions, the objectives, the goals, a group or a micro-society's entire beliefs, rules and code of practice...[...]'', Nobita thinks...

''He linked it to my problem with opening the airlocks, and the guard himself seemed to ignore it...Maybe he, along with the other leaders, are the only ones able to open these doors, it wouldn't surprise me them to abuse the terrorists' naivety and stupidity to better control them and force them into obeying in a total unawareness...But how is that related to...''

Nobita suddenly stops walking, like brutally frozen, his eyes and mouth wide open...Like in the animated cartoons on TV, a bulb appears in Nobita's mind :

Nobita : "The creed... the creed...THE MOTTO !"

Feeling a little less dumb than usual, Nobita rushes to the airlock at full speed, without losing time or paying attention to the cameras...Once back to where he was, his hands WIN OR DIE, THE WORLD IS OURS"

The red warning light above the entrance turns green, a beep is heard and the airlock opens ; at last, Nobita is able to move on to the B sector again...Nobita feels the confidence rising almost high enough to forget about his last nightmare, but not the reason why he's here...

Nobita (rather happy) : "It's getting more and more surprising today ! That funny guy who enjoys drinking and red clothing thinks I know nothing about them and that I don't have the code to open the doors...He's in for a rude awaking !"

But it's going to be even harder for Nobita himself...

**[...]**

After a few minutes spent walking in this next part of the complex, looking surprisingly like what Nobita has been seeing so far, his hope to finally reach his destination is put through mill again.

Nobita feels the hateful impression of being turning round in circles again in this kind of Devil den. He wants to remain calm, having some signalization notices and signboards leading to rely on, for lack of having the slightest idea of where he is..

But Nobita, contrary to what he thinks deep inside, is far from being an idiot...He quickly senses the attempt made to trap him through the indications, which always tend to get him across very dangerous places, filled with deadly traps scattered all along his way...

The last signboard leads him straight in a rubbish storage room, where the floor is cluttered up with wreckage, mountain-high piles of sharp, rusted and dangerously blunt pieces of iron and metal...There's not way through !

Nobita cannot take a chance on crossing it, looking at the risks he'd run to trip over and become impaled...Fortunately, he notices the ceiling is made of wooden crossbeams. He picks up a piece of a small steel bar, carefully climbs up a pile of rubble, find a fulcrum point, gains momentum as he summon up all his strength and willpower, successfully shoots himself by jumping up high, and his hands grab a crossbeam before he falls down.

Nobita bravely looks down and sees what he will fall on if he ever loses his grip ! And since one problem is never enough, he makes out scraping of a flame-thrower among the wreckage below him...like in his recent, now recalled nightmare !

Stricken with an insane rage, Nobita thinks about his family and friends, firmly decided to redeem himself and not to die before accomplishing his mission. He WANTS to live just the time to put an end to the nuclear thread, and his desire to win is more intense than the sun ! His willpower pushes him to overcome his fears and make himself stronger than ever.

He gathers all his power, force and strength in his arms, swings his body with all his might from side to side, and goes to grab another crossbeam, and then another, over and over again, still hanging above an ocean of iron stakes...

Enraged, he moves on, from one crossbeam to another with a sleight of hand that Nobita himself finds ridiculously easy. And when he's about to reach the last, visibly crumbled crossbeam, beyond the zone covered with wreckage, he stops his progression, sensing a new trap, but already having an idea about what it's going to be : he takes the piece of steel out of his pocket with hand hand, while the other is still holding. He then moves slowly all along the crossbeam, until he gets close enough to the wall the crossbeam is connected with. And when he finally jumps to reach the last crossbeam just in front of him, this one gives way and collapses !

Nobita got it right and is dragged down with the falling crossbeam, but he has the time to drive knock his steel bar into the wall, slowing him down while tumbling. He's now down enough to be able to lose his grip and land on his feet without getting hurt. He instantly rushes to the first door he finds and run off from this deadly mess...He achieved success on this new, so far hopeless ordeal ; for him it's a little too well designed to be mere coincidence : How can you force someone to cross such a dangerous place to reach a boiler room ?!

It leads him to believe that someone is deliberately trying to drive him apart from his goal, and to force him to make a fatal mistake, which is quite odd since he's not been located yet !

Nobita : "There's something wrong here, stake my life on it ! But I want to clear in my mind about it ! And after all what I've been through, nothing worse can happen to me !''

**[...]**

Still determinate to find this damn boiler room, Nobita wanders, over and over, in the twists and turn of this huge complex...Until he has to face a new challenge, which lacks originality :

At the end of the hallway, beyond which the ceiling collapsed, blocking it, Nobita watches through a steamy glass door and distinguishes a dark room, entirely empty, the floor covered with baseboard...It clearly contrasts with the rest of the complex : Nobita keeps alert as he feels a new danger coming. Au fond of the room, 3 guards, dimly lighted by a small light, are standing up...in front of 3 doors ! They wear heavy armors, bulletproof protections and looks quite hefty : It's absolutely out of the question to engage in a hand-to-hand fight !

But strangely, and Nobita doesn't miss this detail, they aren't armed...It's like they're waiting for him !

Nobita has a quick look everywhere in the room, still hidden behind the glass door, for a way to defeat them. While looking up, he notices the crate suspended up in the air by two ropes, one tied to the floor, the other hanging down.

Nobita doesn't try to understand and jumps at the chance that he's still unnoticed : he draws his gun and shoot at them. But the bullets ricochet off their armors ; they answer by laughing terribly loud with robot voices, probably because of the protective gas masks they wear.

Nobita frowns and clenches his fists : he goes to plan B and wants to force them into attacking him. These aren't stupid (and not really seeing him as being near the only light source) and stand still, shrieking with laughter. But Nobita doesn't see it this way ! During a few second, the guards hear some strange noises in the gloom, but they are blind and unable to distinguish anything...

Secretly, Nobita is tying the rope hanging down to the glass door Nobita used to enter the room, and unties the other one...And finally, the guards make out a shadow walking toward them, recognizing a young child :

The Guards : "Turn back and run, boy ! Flee as far as you can before we start hunting you !", they say with a devilish tone.

But Nobita keeps moving forward, calm and expressionless like a zombie, ignoring them...Not very clever, the guards realize this boy is the kid wanted after setting the first group of prisoners free...And they're already drooling over the reward they were promised for the kid's capture (or death).

Like wild primitives ready to leap, they hit the ground with their fists, yell swearwords, and seeing Nobita's face wearing a delighted mocking smile, they throw pounce on him, ready to crush him down...

But in their unholy rage, they throw themselves into the lion's mouth...Nobita turns over, runs back for a few meters, flattens on his belly, waiting for his already out of breath adversaries...

And when they jump to crush him, he gets up as fast as a lightning and jumps out of his position, letting the guards, dragged down by the weight of their armors, smash into the floor. He takes his aim at the glass door, using the few light emanating from behind it to locate the rope tied to it, shoots, snapping it.

The crate falls down at full-speed ; the guard cannot react and are squashed, thrust through the baseboard and disappearing deep down in the abyss...

Nobita doesn't get cocky, and hurry up to open one of the three doors, now rid of them...But his instinct come to alert him, and ultimately saves his life : He wants to check there's no danger going forward, notices that the cartridge clip in his gun is empty, takes it out and throws it in the narrow corridor in front of him...some huge flames suddenly burst out of the walls and a monstrous fire cloud burns in the whole corridor.

Nobita gets scared and falls back on his back, avoiding the flames passing straight above him before vanishing...When Nobita gets up, his face is horribly scarred and wincing, triggered by a sudden burst of blind rage and deep hatred.

Nobita has just realized that all the doubt he's been having from the moment he crossed the airlock were well-founded :

From the very beginning, since his own escape, he's the victim of a macabre game !

Nobita (Wrestling not to say a word, red with anger) : "SO, that's what these monsters want ! I'm a gamer, a stupid gladiator in a goddamn arena ! All this tests and hardships, this enigmas he had to solves, it was a ****** CAT & MOUSE GAME ! They want to make fun of me, while the world is in danger, playing with millions of innocent's lives ! THOSE GODDAMN BAST...! [...]''

Nobita sits down on the floor, covering his reddish face to hide his anger, thinking over, trying to cool off and find a solution...

Nobita (thinking) : "That's the reason why the cameras and the security system never caused me any trouble...They had, and are still having a wonderful time at my own expense...All I've accomplished, said and suffered occurred at their own's stare ! If that's so, then I'll do the same ! They don't know I'm aware in the know about this yet, and I'd take advantage of it against them !", he murmurs to himself while still pondering the problem...

"They want game, hmm ?! They won't be disappointed ! I'll cooperate, if that's what they want...until they don't distrust me nor pay much attention about me, and start enjoying themselves in insouciance, the time for me to set a dirty trick for them...When they realize it, it shall be too late !", he says rubbing his hands...

Obviously not worried about the fact that it will cause the terrorists to get upset and eliminating (or capturing) him at any cost once they find it out, Nobita is fully aware of the huge risk he's about to take by acting that way. From now on, he knows the truth, warned that he'll have to do everything to ensure him to have a chance to win ; the bomb won't be waiting for him and his enemies won't be playing with his life forever ! But since everything seems to grow more beyond his control, he better go as fast as he possible !

And to start, he's got to find which way to take. It's quite delicate issue, since there's nothing in this empty room, except a big hole in the damaged floor, that Nobita could throw in each path to check which one is safe...Nothing except, maybe...the remaining cartridges from the bullets he shot !

He looks for them for a while, before finally finding one, then two...He launches the first one at full speed in the right corridor, hurtling through the air...and within a micro-second, dozen of sharp and edged blades bursts from the wall, lashing the air : Nobita's been just be saved from being cut into slices !

He tries the last one, but he immediately notices that the walls, ceiling and floor in the corridor are completely riddled with small holes, from multiple impacts of bullet. No doubt about it, all ways are impassable ! He doesn't understand, and still tries to throw his last cartridge...and isn't surprised to conclude he was unfortunately right...

Nobita : "Wait a second ! How can you go on if everything is trapped...I remember in one of our adventures, Doraemon and I faced the same problem...But he had a gadget to get us through, I HAVE to get over it, whatever it costs, otherwise this damnable bomb will burn us out to the bone !"

Nobita doesn't know how right he is, as he remembers he nearly got carbonized to ashes in the central corridor, but only just escaped it by falling down and laying on the floor...And this is the answer to his problem ; if he stays down, he might have a chance !

But it's still risky ; he will get burned severely if goes onto this blaze without protection. He needs to find one, and the glass door (which is also armored) he opened to get in the gloomy dark could turn out handy. He uses his last bullets and shoots at the door's hinges, tearing it off its stand. He then uses it as a shield, holding it on his back to cover and protect him while creeping under the flames in the central corridor.

Nobita : "Being in the heat of the action...It's really better when it's in a movie you're watching !"

Victorious once again, Nobita gets off the ground at the other end of the small corridor, only to see that a needs to resolve a mathematical operation to unlock another door in blocking him !

Nobita : "You...must be kidding me ! Why do I always have to get stuck with another bloody problem after I solved one ? Now, I'm stuck between my worst nightmare at school and the worst way to die ! Holy Moses, what the hell is next ? A barbecue of roast Nobita ?", he yells, furious.

Nobita stumbles on to try to solve this umpteenth enigma, but he's really not in the mood for that !...Lucky Doraemon would certainly use his ''Mini-Black-hole" gadget, which can disintegrate and disassemble any kind of material !

It's pretty hard for Nobita to remember his math lessons in school, especially all the trouble and pain it caused him, but he still has the force to start his own calculation operations...He finds a solution after a long reflexion, inputs it with the keyboard used to write down the answer, but nothing happens. He reattempts, several times to rack his brain, but each result fails...His last (re)reading of the enigma reminds him of a special calculation technique Sensei wrote one day in one of his failed test, by way of correction...He gets an umpteenth result, but it doesn't work...

And that is when, while weeping over his failure, he makes an accidental, but bizarre discovery : he presses on a strange button under the keyboard in despair...And on the screen above the keyboard is now scrolling a strange phrase :

"If you can't solve this problem, you may find the answer to one of these 3 riddle. First one : *I'm the incarnation of inanity, tests dread me and youngsters hate me, the symbol of the void, nothing, wrong...*"

Nobita doesn't let it end and directly write down the answer as fast as a snap of fingers : **0**. The door opens and a stifling Nobita runs out in a hurry, taking a deep breath...

Nobita : "There's only one incarnation of inanity...ME ! And not only youngsters hate me..."

Nobita, looking grave but relaxed, pursuits his walk through the complex, ignoring that his last answer was right ; he just forgot to press the stamping button...In front of him, a small plaque indicates the entrance to the boiler room, warning about the risks anyway venturing there runs...Nobita feels almost amused but since he fears the terrorists might eavesdrop him secretly, he keeps his mouth shut.

Nobita (Thinking) : ''Many risks, hmm ? It's sure that with all the traps on the way, no one will ever have the stupidity to go that far ! It's a miracle that I'm still alive to see that door ! But I'm just I've got nine chances out of ten to fall into another trap ! [...He hears some fading voices, calling for help, and swearing too, probably the guards yelling...]

Well, I guess I'm in the good place, this time ! Let's go setting them free, they deserve it !''

**[...]**

**To be continued**


	9. Release & Revenge

**Chapter 9 : Release & Revenge**

A new wonderful day starting on this summer of 2122. Bathed by the sweet morning heat, Tokyo wakes up.

In the sky, the birds' cooing mingles in harmony with the sounds from the countless flying machines dominate air space. Some huge spaceships, loaded with tourists, merchandise, ore extracted from Mars' subsoil or colonists traveling from from human colonies throughout the Milky Way, emerge from outer and cyberspace and go belaying to the docking in the stratosphere. Some flying palaces, hotels and pyramids right in the middle of the clouds, real relaxation and playing areas, a paradise for children, who joyfully fly around in between the cottoned and goodies-made clouds, thanks to their anti-gravity equipments and hydraulic propulsion skates.

Adults, on their side, have no time for boredom : they bath into the thermowarmed pools from the palaces perched above Month Fujiyama, enjoying delicious meals in the ''Taste The Ultimate Pleasure'' restaurant, a solid gold-made structure, topped by an silver dome, the inside full of tapestry, crystal chandeliers and decorated atriums and vaults, luxurious like in the old palaces of ancient French kings. Those not staying inside lounge outside, lazing in the sun while maintained suspended sky-high by electromagnetic shields, enjoying the Tokyo Basin view, as well as the high-speed interstellar trains passing by and going over.

On the ground, on the outskirts of the roads lined with trees, various clockwork toys and mechanism parts automatic distributors, interactive city maps, giant screens showing movies and ads and indicative artificial intelligences, people are walking, accompanied by their faithful, protectors and friends robots.

Some use virtual interfaces to order a pizza, some others, already in swimsuits, heads to the beach, ready to practice their underwater sports thanks to their ''Breathing Chewing-gums''. All around, the urban landscape is dominated by imposing skyscrapers of different shapes and illuminated by bright lights, multicolor windowpanes, glass roofs and surrounded by artificial gardens and rutonda-shaped residential areas. The are linked by huge bridges overflowing with shops, ship hangars, teleportation gangways, control towers, laboratories and individual supersonic transport cabins that allow anyone to go anywhere he wants. On the mountains are perched solar-powered villas, in addition to the green ways created under glass domes in town...

On the neighboring beach, an old blue-colored robotic friend is sitting down, isolated, facing the sea...He's accosted by another robot, looking more enthusiastic and fair-skinned :

Dorami : ''Doraemon, What are you doing here, alone ? Is your last check-up responsible for getting you in such a pitiful state ?

Doraemon : "No, that's nothing, I have nothing...Nobita..."

Doramin (her hand upon his shoulder) : "Still thinking 'bout him, hmm ? Nobita...''

Doraemon : "Yes...I regret my decision...I was upset, I didn't realize how hurtful I was, and now, he must be feeling so lonely, bad and abandoned !"

Dorami : "Nevertheless, admit that he deserves it a little ! After all you've done for him, he could have treated you a little more respectfully !"

Doraemon : "I know well, but it's quite more complicated, I fear it ! It's partly my fault, I babied him beyond belief, now he's too depending on me !''

Dorami : "Sewashi told me the same ! You should try to force him to manage all by himself ! I mean, he's got to understand your not his servant, he needs to become widespread and handle his life, he's no more a baby !"

Doraemon (lowering his head) : "All that is true, but I think there's something else...Something wrong, I feel it...A suffering deep inside, he spends his time asking everyone to do what he wishes for, but he never dares takes the initiative and always attempts to get noticed...That's the spitting syndrome of someone feeling down ! And as if that weren't enough, he's always scolded, punished and the victim of his own bad actions. I'm almost sure he acts that way to call for help, I bet he hates himself, and must be subconsciously feeling bad about himself !...[...]...By anyway, I guess you won't understand me !

Dorami : "Quite the opposite...Some years ago, you were,except some details, in the same situation than he is. Failure, reject, full of flaws and lacks...I know how hard it must have b...Oh my, I have to go by now, bye !"

Doraemon suddenly gets up, begging her to stay a little more, surprised by this sudden decision to leave, but she's already disappeared when he turns over...A man is standing in its stead, visibly from the Police, staring at Doraemon with a solemn look :

Doraemon : "Y...YOU !", he says awkwardly trying to stand up to attention :

Policeman : "Yes, me. And forget about these meaningless details. We need to talk, terrible things will soon occur !''

Doraemon : "Do apologizes me, but I'm really in the mood, and...''

Policeman (taking his hands) : "I know, but it concerns you more than you can possibly imagine ! A...friend of yours, a brother, is in danger..."

Doraemon doesn't answer, paralyzed and dumbfounded, while the policeman drags him to his patrol ship, ready to take off...He knows who it's about !

**[...] Back to present time [...]**

A strange rumbling can be heard, comparable to the sound of water pumped out in a sink, sent in a piping maze. And it's precisely in a huge iron and reinforced concrete-made maze that this noise echoes. Between these wall the sound bounces off, a young boy is wandering toward his objective, visibly starving !

Nobita gets around, hungry and tired, in what looks like, rather what's left of a former laboratory sector. In this sordid, dusty and grimy environment, there's nothing but rubble and dirtiness.

Many Hallways, filled with a dust fog, fouled air, damp and cold, obstructed with wreckage, broken lighting lamps, pieces of concrete and wood, multiple steel splinters, bricks fallen from the damaged fissured ceiling, ready to collapse. The walls are covered with mildew, deteriorated, riddled with bullet holes, evidences of the recent violent events that shook the complex. The broken down doors, opening on laboratory rooms, where chaos prevails.

A terror ambiance, a monstrous mess, totally devastated like in the aftermath of an earthquake. Tables, working tools like spectrogram machines or microscopes...everything is upside down, scattered all over, damaged and unusable. Broken glass, scrapheaps, numerous objects like the remains of fractured test tubes or metal sheets, covering the whole floor among cartridges, remains of torn clothes, various scraps, and even blood stains...Some cute power cables hanging down, still producing electric sparks, pierced pipe letting a strange gas spreading out...It's better worth not to hang around any longer !

Watching out not to gash his feet on scalpel or a scissor, among many other sharp cutting objects scattered through his way, Nobita goes off his way without stopping, quite reassured he wasn't there when this carnage occurred, when the terrorists took over the place. In addition to his stomach's groan, racking and creaking sounds are resounding, proofs of the area's instability !

A serendipitous chance leads Nobita to find a messed kitchen : he takes a look inside, hoping for a short respite time to eat and rest, but he sees the awful mixture covering the floor, along with rotten food and decay, all thrown on the ground when during the attack that devastated the place, he's near to vomit. He searches in a closet, gets a jar out, opens it... A stench appetite suppressant ! He drops it, runs away and run as far as possible...He's had enough !

After this unfortunate experience, which at least made him forget about his hunger, Nobita finally reaches his objective...and this time, he's got a stroke of chance as he finds the boiler room's entrance : he stands in front of it, satisfied not to have fallen in any of his enemies' traps. Several crates are stored near the doors, and when Nobita watches inside, originally looking for ammunition, preparing to burst into the room, he only finds music and performing equipments, like spotlights and loud speakers...What on earth is that, what is it doing here ?

But that's not important : Nobita thinks more about what's waiting for him behind these doors. No screaming or yelling anymore, everybody's too weak to complain...Even the guards keeping an eye on them are no more flinging abuse or insults at them...

He unsuccessfully tries to place his ear against the door to only hear an incomprehensible hubbub. He stealthily watches through the keyhole...He catches sight of a small overheated dimly lighted room. A huge engine and machinery system makes the devil of a row. In the middle of the room, close to the door, two men are sitting down, some cards in their hands, around a lantern shining an orange-colored light. With plastic spoons, they are eating up...some cans taken in the disgusting kitchen Nobita passed by !

Nobita : "Gosh, they win, this time ! I'd never be able to swallow such a repugnant stuff !...It should come as no surprise that they hit the roof !

Anyway, Nobita has to get in and rescue these poor imprisoned guys. But as he barely starts to devise a plan that he hears footsteps from behind him. Someone's approaching...and there's emergency exit ! He needs to improvise in a hurry and makes do with his acting talents : he hides his gun underneath his clothes and lays down, miming a corpse (or fainted person).

When the approaching guard sees him, he drops his torch down as he remains doubtful and suspicious for a moment, then looks closer and based on the information his chief gave him, he identifies and recognizes him as the kid everyone is looking for. Dumbfound, he grabs his legs and drags him along like a vulgar floorcloth, hitting the doors with his feet in ecstasy to open them, yelling ''That's him !''. Nobita feels reassured that he didn't decid to hold his body instead (He would have felt him breathing) and lets him having him treated that way, but feeling a bit ridiculous :

Nobita (thinking) : "fortunately I'm wearing terrorist clothes, it's gonna be hard to clean the filth after that !

Frightened by this sudden arrival, the startled guards in the boiler room are almost about to draw their weapons when they see their mate bursting in...

One of the guards : "We got the hell a shock ! Are you nuts ? You scared the crap out of us, old chap ! Stop smoking pot !''

Guard : "I GOT HIM ! That boy, it's the one we are supposed to hunt down, he was already lifeless when I found him just behind this door !"

The Guards : "WHAT THE F***? Is that really him ? We didn't even notice him ! How the heck did he end up here ?", they say looking closely at the body, unbelieving.

Guard : "We don't give a s***, do we ? We gonna be rich, freakin' rich with the reward our Lord promised us ; he'll love us for that !", he says dropping Nobita's legs.

One of the Guards : "Let's just check if that demon's really dead !"

Nobita's body is laid down just next to the guards' lantern, working with a candle. They turn him around, turns him over and see his eyes wide open, expressionless. He looks really dead !"

The guards' first reflex is to watch all around them if no one else (another guard for example) heard or saw them : they want to keep the reward for them (already thinking of how they will attempt to get rid of each other). But how about the prisoners, watching from their cage, despite being dead tired, with a timid look, full of compassion and sadness for this poor little martyr child's shamefully mistreated brutalized body...

All the guards : "They saw us, they know about it...Our Lord forbade us to kill them, but we gonna have to ensure they'll remain silent...", they say looking at them, now afraid and screaming...

Nobita : "I don't think so !", he says blowing off the candle

Panicked as the lighted is brutally gone, they fidget hysterically and see their victim in a dark shadow form, since the room is still dimly lighted by the numerous warning lights from the boiler room's machines. He stares at them in the eyes, cold and curt...Nobita dupes them, thinking they're dealing with a ghost, even a zombie and lose control. Yelling, shaking, screaming in horror and fear, they randomly bang in the air and bump into each other...After a short blind beating, two of them fall knocked out on the ground ; the third one run away in pain and fright by the entrance doors...

Getting up a bit unbalanced, while a spine-chilling silence sets in, the prisoners are mute and silent, holed up in their cage, when the machines' noise dies away mysteriously, followed by a sudden switching on of the boiler room's lighting system. It is Nobita's turn to be taken by surprise, his vision dazzled and blurred, but he keeps calm : he hears footsteps coming to him. He trusts his hearing and succeeds in pointing his gun in the direction of the thread, that he can identify as a heavily armed man, when he recovers his senses...

Yuko (Second-in-command) : ''Well done, little boy ! I wasn't expecting a damn upstart like you to be able to arrive here in once piece ! Thanks, it was an pleasant distraction ! But now, it's time to get it over with you : say your prayers !

Nobita opens his eyes : in front of him is standing a man bordering on obese, equipped with a heavy bulletproof armor, an exoskeleton articulated and connected to his body, and iron greaves. He's so fat that at least ten laser pistols and two pump-action shotguns are hung to his belt. A laser locking-like device and a mini-rocket launcher are hooked up on his arms, and he's got a missile launcher and a minigun in his back...It doesn't seem to come from Nobita's time !

Nobita : ''Glad I made you cheerful, but who am I speaking too ?''

Yuko : ''Don't you worry, little snot ! Ya don't need to know who I am, but I'll have the honor to get a VIP presentation of my new toy, a massive destruction armor prototype ! Very useful to boot up naughty curious kids like you in the backside !'', he says with a sarcastic tone.

His left arm is pointed at Nobita, showing the tip of a sniper shotgun with a muffler : a bullet is shot and disarms Nobita, smashing it to smithereens in his hand. He's not hurt but aquiver, shocked by this unforeseen action, shaking his hand as a reflex...

Yuko : ''You've got 10 seconds to bend on your knees and beg my pardon, and maybe I'll take pity on you and grant you a fast death without suffering !''

Nobita, now facing a truly tremendous enemy, is badly off ! With the light on, Nobita can see what the boiler room looks like (and is made of) : electric generators, huge turbines, high-voltage cables, pipes with a ''Highly Inflammable'' warning symbol stuck on it, fuel reservoirs...No need to teach him that no use of fire weapon is possible in this kind of mess !

Against this ultra-resistant iron monster, Nobita doesn't stand a chance...Unless he can pick up one of the knocked-down guard's gun and aim at the Yuko's neck, the only unprotected part...It's a risky operation, but with all his suicidal thoughts, Nobita is jaded !

Feeling the adrenaline rising again, Nobita is still standing proudly, determined to provoke him into losing control, to his advantage...and to Yuko's utter astonishment :

Yuko : ''So, you're showing off...Are you jealous of my big armor, you miserable worm !''

Nobita : ''That's not what intrigues me with you...''

Yuko (Souriant) : ''Noooo ? Then my handsome muscled body that can break your bones and make a soup with them : I'll give you such a hard time, I'm delighted just thinking about it !''

Nobita : ''No, in fact...are you sure this armor will protect your entire fatty plump body ? You're such a chubby and big fat git, I'm sure you already weighted a tonne before you slip it on'', he smiles back.

Yuko's facial expression winces spitefully, his skin turns reddish. He takes this ungraceful remark extremely badly. His limbs tremble and he clenches his fists...How dare this nasty kid pitching into him such an insulting way ?

Yuko : ''Did you see me before ? I don't think you know what I'm able of !''

Nobita : ''Wrong, I did !...And if my memory's good, you were playing general, dressed like Little Re Ridding Hood and boozing, getting plastered to forget how stupid and ugly he is !''

Yuko : ''You lil freak ! Do you realize who you're dealing with ?''

Nobita : ''Hmm...Let me see...A dull oafish toying with the robot his grandmother offered him for Christmas ?...Dang, I've just revealed you he would not exist ! You still believed in him ?...I'm sorry, shame on me...Mocking a permanently disabled person !''

Yuko (Flushing with rage) : ''Go to hell, you m...'', growling and roaring, then halted by Nobita.

Nobita : ''If you try to imitate a rhino, there a theater club in my school, you'll need to practice, 'cause you scream like a lil girl !...And, just a friendly advise...You've got a moronic face ! But you look rich, so...do you know about aesthetic surgery ?'', he says grinning and patting his face...

The raging terrorist, petrified by his disrespectful insolence, is decided to murder him once for all :

Yuko (red with anger) : ''so ya wanna play da game, hmm ? Very well, you runt ; Imma stuff you with my missile, eating it with your ass and tear your guts off !''

Nobita (provoking) : ''Why not...you'll need something to decorate your cell !''

Yuko's had enough and can't take it anymore…He pulls up a lever, loading his ''Hellfire'', the missile launcher incorporated to his armor in his back. But his blind rage slows him down and perturbs him, Nobita's got the time to leap down near a knocked-down guard's body and grabs his gun. When Yuko's finished to adjust his weapon's aiming, he sees the gun pointed at him !

Yuko (Bending over, ready to shoot his missile) : ''EAT THAT, you...'',

But he's cut off by a bullet going through his throat...He drops dead on the floor, in a deafening racket, his belt is unfastened and the weapons hung to it are scattered around his corpse...

Nobita : ''Enjoy your meal !''

There's no time to lose, Nobita rushes to him to check if he's really out, then runs to the prisoners' cage, who are applauding and gratifying him with praise...

Being a hero is a new feeling for someone who never achieved gratefulness, except during his adventures with Doraemon. For the first time, he's hailed as a true savior, acclaimed for a heroic action he did on his own !

He asks everyone to move away from the cage's door, shoots the padlock and, at last, set all the former employees free, skinny and on their last legs like survivors from a concentration camp...

A prisoner : ''Thanks a million, young man ! You saved us all ! Just reassure me, this horrible...android ! tell me he's...''''

Nobita : ''Don't worry 'bout that : he's got some serious...digestion problems, and he won't be getting better soon ! [..] What about you, are you alright ? You're working...well worked here ?

Engineer : ''No, we're a group of sound engineers and performing professionals. We were supposed to work at a festival in Okinawa, but we were nowhere near in the right place ! We probably made a mistake and ended up in front of a huge building, in a deserted industrial area...We saw people assaulting it, and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time : they located us and didn't want no witness, they brought us here, along with our equipment...''

Nobita : ''You talkin' about the crates I saw before entering here ? Well, well, well...''

The engineer confirms what Nobita guessed, but both are interrupted when a former prisoner, who went on for a recon walk, comes back in a hurry, yelling that a whole load of terrorists are heading toward them, probably alerted by the third guard Nobita let go after waking up from the dead and overpowering his pals...

A panicky crowd surrounds Nobita, begging him for help. The latter thinks over, and remembers the quite original way he successfully got into the boiler room and neutralized his guardians...

Nobita : ''Okay, listen everyone ; here's what we're going to do : you remember how I defeated these guards, okay ? Then, we're going to repeat it once again ! Go picking up the weapons this...'android' carried with him, hide them beneath your clothes, get back into the cage and act as if nothing had happened ! I want some of you to hide behind the doors, and others will split up into groups that shall be allocated randomly throughout the place...As for you engineers, I need you to bring your equipments here as fast as you can...And you didn't pick the bad address, I count on you to carry out the hell a show ! […he keeps explaining his plans...] Oh and, does anyone of you know how to use this electronic stuff ?'', he says pointing a command covered with buttons console.

While everyone's fussing over Nobita's orders, a man accosts him and positively answer his request. And to Nobita's surprise, he's nobody other than the mechanic who helped him out to escape his own cage !

Nobita : ''But...what are you doing here ? Why aren't you with the others ?''

Mechanic : ''[…]'' (signing language).

Nobita : ''I see, you're mute...No ? Oh, loss of voice ?...You don't wanna be heard, you're a secret agent too ? [...He nods in agreement...] I see...''

Nobita knows he's lying, hiding the truth about his real identity, but there's a more urgent issue...

Nobita : ''Well, doesn't matter, I've a devilish prank for these louts ; here's what he'll have to do ; I hope you like climbing !...And the rest of you, I better be good actors !''

5 minutes later, about ten terrorists reach the boiler room's doors, heavily armed as expected, ready for a slaughter. But at the moment they break out in, Nobita pulls the plug, plunging everyone into a deep darkness...A horror film-like unsettling silence sets in, the trembling men move on timidly, trying to look dangerous and menacing, but they only hear frightening noises, like footsteps, creaking, squeaking, wood snapping, zombie roaring, whistling, brief machine sounds and the grinding of the doors closing again behind them.

Nobita, like a distinguished conductor, clicks his fingers before every noise...All seem to be turning around the terrified men, getting closer...A sudden, the spotlights hung to the ceiling are turned on, lighting up the knocked-down guards' bodies, to the men's awe ; a real chamber of horrors !

Verging on panic, they begin to open fire randomly in the dark, when a loud voice is heard :

Nobita (strong voice) : ''OH, OH, OH ! I'M THE LORD OF CHAO ! HOW DARE YOU ENTERING MY DEN ?''

A true nightmare for their eardrums, the accusing voice makes them jolt out of their skin...Some of them tries to defy it, timidly answering that they are not afraid of it...

Nobita (strong voice) : ''THIS IS WHAT WE GONNA SEE ! YOU SHALL BE PUNISHED ! NOW, FACE MY WRATH !''

At this instant, a missile sound breaks out, a burning and glowing object is shot out at full speed and hit the ceiling upper part of the wall above the doors at full shot, it collapses and squashes a part of them down, blocking the only way out and the only remaining light coming from outside...Now fully cornered in the darkness, injured by the shattering debris blown up by the blast (along with their own bullets) and chocked off by the resulting suffocating dust smoke, they fling themselves to the ground and beg for help forgiveness:

''We surrender, WE SURRENDEEEEEEEEEEEER ! Have pity on us !''

**[...Meanwhile, someone's watching them from the complex's control center through his screens...]**

Taikan (The terrorist leader) : ''Hmm, not bad...not bad at all, well done boy !''

**[...Back in the boiler room...]**

Nobita then orders the mechanic to switch on the light : the terrorists are dazzled, enough time for their former prisoners to disarm and get them under control, pined to the ground...One of them opens his eyes and watches the whole scene, and understand, we he sees Nobita approaching with a microphone in his hand, that they've been tricked :

The terrorist : ''All of this was fake ? A stupid but damn realistic stratagem ! And...Y...YOU ! You are the one who's sowing panic among us ! You're such a troublemaker !''

Nobita : ''Absolutely, and I thank you all for being so illogical : you treated those poor people with less humanity and kindness than wreckage, but you took the time to preserve their belongings with the utmost care...Including all these wonderful performing arts equipments, very useful when you need to trick someone, isn't it ? I guess it was the hell of a hard time to bring it here, I don't know how to thank you ! […] Well, I guess I'll just ask everyone not to take revenge on you for all the bad treatment endured !'', he says while winking to the grinning prisoners...

''Oh and, you'll also thanks our great friend mechanic, hacking and lighting specialist, who had the kindness to hang all this spotlights on the ceiling and played the DJ ! I nearly burst out laughing while playing God, but for you my friends, I had to deliver a realistic speech, an...'', he's interrupted.

The terrorist : ''It's not over yet, you'll pay someday !''

Nobita : ''I fully wish for it, or else it wouldn't be fun ! Now please guys, shut them up ! And please, mister terrorist, tell your fellow that you all better be good, or else...my friends may forget about how I asked them not to mistreat you !'', he says with a sadistic smile...

Everyone looks a bit afraid by this change of attitude from Nobita, but he gives the former prisoners a wink again : he knows what he's doing and they trust him. Actually, the terrorist leaders must be spying him, and he needs them to think that he's actually enjoying his situation like a foolhardy kid living an unfunny life ; the perfect way to dupe their suspicion...

Nobita takes his map out of his pocket and examines this part of the complex... and learns that everyone could flee using some elevators, accessible from the boiler room's emergency exits. He asks everyone to escape, adding that they should carry Yuko's armor with them, that will be useful during the terrorists' future trial...and as it may happen, to defend themselves in case they would meet with the terrorists again ! But he holds the mechanic up :

Nobita : ''Hey you, please stay just 5 more minutes...Whoever you are, I need your help a very last time...Give me one last hand, I need a favor from you...''


	10. Death Factory

**Chapter 10 : Death Factory**

Two hours have slipped since release of the second group of prisoners confined in the boiler room. Nobita, whose moral is slightly bucking up following his victory, even though he perceives it as fleeting and short-lived. But he's far from being through with his hardships, and his new coming consequent adventures shall be full of surprises, some with a very bitter taste !

After barely eluding a guard patrol twice, Nobita happens in a kind of infirmary, equipped with many surveillance security systems and cameras, and fitted with a reinforced door, fortunately open. The place looks like a maximum-security under close surveillance place, but curiously, nothing seems to work...Following his last confrontations with the terrorists, Nobita isn't in great shape, his bruised skin on his legs and arms are covered and scarred with scratches, grazes, soreness rashes and some shallow wounds which could get infected soon.

Nobita breaks and enter carefully, picks up a duster-cloth to wash his face covered with dirt and sweat streaming down. He then delves and searches into the shelves, successfully gets some medicine and disinfectant on an operating table, looking alike the one Nobita once had to lie on, treated for a nasty flu...

He remains thoughtful and stands still for a moment, as he recalls a memory from deep inside his mind :

**[...]**

"He's at school, absent-minded, half-asleep on his desk while Sensei distributes the papers he and all the pupils wrote the day before during a Japanese test. Nobita's paper looks like a rough draft full of mistakes, but he's visibly not feeling concerned. He coughs and trembling, but judging on his lack of motivation during class all day long, Sensei accuses him of faking, pretending to be sick to have a reason for not take his lesson, and sends him standing in the corner as a punishment, through his so-called mates' mocking laugh. He's also sentenced to clean up the class once the lesson's over...He feels sad and feel a need for affection...He withdraws into the toilets, looking at his pale appearance in the mirror, his stuffy nose...and a new trophy for his collections of bad grades...

Seized with shivers, stiffness and a harsh headache, Nobita grabs his schoolbag with difficulty and walks out of the school building, doddering in the freezing coldness of the coming winter outside, overwhelmed by a stinking cold, still mocked at. He drags himself along, finally reaching home.

His traditional ''I'm home'' is barely audible, so sick and weakened. His mother comes and ask him to sit down next to her...She wants to see his mark, ignoring his bad condition ! While he hands over his paper, he briefly touches his mother's arm with his hand, boiling with fever, thinking it would warn her...But she tells him off severely once again, staring at her son bending in shame and ready to faint...

Nobita sneezes suddenly, his Mom asks him if he's not sick...and scolds him again when he positively answers, for not telling her earlier and going straight to bed ! She sends him in his bedroom like a punished brat.

Nobita shinnies up the stairs, eager to get into bed...And is grounded by Doraemon, since his Dorayakis are gone ! Nobita defends himself as he can, but Doraemon distrusts him, staring at him suspiciously. Nobita loses it and falls apart, collapsing on the floor...

About ten minutes later, in the evening, he's in bed...and sick, very sick ! He's got a high fever. Doraemon nurses him so as to keep company, while Nobita's ready to cry...Doraemon is just a few centimeters away from him, he wishes deeply that he could take his hand, draw him around and hold him tight like a teddy bear, as a consolation...He vainly hopes his mother will come upstairs to his room and take him in her arms, or at least say a few sweet words...

But he hears his Dad's voice, returning from work. He's got some Dorayakis for Nobita, but Mom tells him about his illness...and insists especially on his bad mark, paying more attention to it than anything else, which causes Dad to decide he'll give the them to Doraemon, while he cheeks it out.

Doraemon's just heard it and jolts in joy, leaving Nobita alone, wearily ensuring he'll come back to '_keep his spirit's up_', with a tone hardly covering up a feeling of tiredness. Nobita wants to keep him near, but Doraemon almost orders him to go to sleep instead of uselessly talking...

Nobita is on his own again, hearing everyone laughing and having a good time downstairs. He bursts into tears, and would do anything to call for help...but he's too weak, no one hears him...''

**[...Back to present time...]**

On the border of sob again, Nobita hardly hardly stifles, holding back his tears and violently kicks over a shelf, unwinding his rage before pulling himself together. He slaps himself and expels the memory from his mind. He flees away running and takes refuge in a small tunnel where catches his breath and recovers from his emotions...

After a while, he notices some strange noises, similar those of a factory...He sidles in the tunnel, slowly walking further, edging out carefully as the noise is growing louder...and finally finds himself close to the entrance of an open airlock, face to face with two security gun-turrets, which doesn't react when he barges in, obviously deactivated...

Nobita curiously doesn't pay attention to it, probably used to unexpected surprises, and passes through the airlock...and end up in a small corridor, lit up by a yellowish light coming out from a series of reinforced plexiglass windows on the left wall, overlooking a huge facility from where the terrible racket originates. Since he isn't tall enough to look through, Nobita follows his path in the corridor until he finds a partly roped off yet half-open iron door, interlocked in the same wall than the windows.

And it comes just at the right time as a patrol heads his way, letting him just the time to cross it and close it behind him hastily. Nobita realizes that he's now cornered in a dead-end, almost perched on a kind of small raised footbridge. He blocks the door, in case he'd be located by the patrol...But quickly, his look, as well as his hearing, focuses on the awful sight under his horrified eyes :

Above him, the ceiling is covered with piping and indicator, projector, halogen and neon factory lamps, in addition to scaffolding, roller chains and electric wire lines.

In that industrial part of the complex, just below him, automatic robots working on assembly lines, welding cables, fixing mechanical engineering in a humanly unbearable inferno. They work relentlessly and continuously, producing machine parts, weapons and various technologies. Other robots, looking like four-arms spiders flying in the air, propelled by hydrogen engines, pounding away transporting many spare parts and conveying various ores.

In several assembly and manufacturing halls, an infernal machinery functions ceaselessly. Some biped robots, reinforced with heavy laser cannons, stand guard by the automated doors and air vents.

Other robots, bigger, sturdier and equipped with many multifunction mechanical arms, building spaceships. Some iron garbage are carried and lug around by wheeled recycling dustbin-shaped robots, and thrown into large melted steel tanks and giant molten metal ovens in the steel mill, which's warm, yellow-orange-tinted bright colors contrasts with the gray atmosphere of the factory, projecting enormous fire clouds and a storm of sparks. A little further, Nobita can make out automatic power drills and soldering irons manufacturing missiles and loading weapons rolling on conveyor belts with ammo before packing them in big crates, carried away too and dispatched on many other conveyors through cherry pickers, and finally stocked in warehouses...

Shinning sparks are spouted everywhere, the smoke emitted by garbage crushers, round-shaped hacksaws and heat pumps make the air unbreathable and stifling. Many warning lights are lighted on, off, then on again over and over. The dreadful sounds of this hustle and bustle, the assembling machines and rotary drills in action give more rhythm to the intolerable row. Nobita's getting mad !

Nobita (covering his ears) : ''It sounds loud enough to wake up the whole galaxy !''

Since he's way high up, Nobita soon gets caught in thick toxic smoke and a burning heat emanating from the steel mills...He can't stick it anymore, takes the risk to reopen the door and noses out carefully back in the corridor, where he hastily dries his face, sweating like a Bedouin in the desert, and take a deep breath of fresh air...

He walks on about hundred meters, forages around, finds another raised gangway and settle in, keen to view the scene again, from another angle. This time, he can see another manufacturing room, and what he observes gives him goosebumps : some huge war machines are mass produced and assembled.

Nobita isn't an expert in in the subject, but he easily recognizes many technologies from his time, like armored tanks equipped with machine guns and missile launchers, Antiaircraft defense cannons, armored combat troops carriers, along with millions of bladed and fire weapons, from knives and pistols to M14 Machine-guns and antitank guns, in addition to HK submachine-guns, grenade launchers, MP5, sniper rifles and even old advanced modified AK-47, with chainsaws integrated to them...Nobita doesn't know their names but has no doubt about what they're made for, but still wonders why they spend that time producing so much 'obsolete' weapons, compared to what they carried along with them from their more advanced future time...

Nobita's got shivers down his spine when he notices more advanced futuristic mega-weapons, like blaster shotguns, plasma mini-cannons, biopistols, multi-projectile guns, energy weapons...

Nobita (sickened) : ''Holy cow, there're more weapons here than zeros in the bank account of Suneo's parents ! […] They can kill billions of people with those, it's a real death factory !"

Finally, paying heed to what happen to be some human voice sounds, his hand on his forehead to protect his eyes from the bright light, he perceives some men, probably control or security agents. Some take charge of repairing fragile high-tech production machines, inspecting the weapons, policing the area, making sure the strict discipline is respected, maintaining a terror atmosphere to keep everyone obedient and submissive.

Others are testing survival equipments, which looks logical in such an inhospitable place. Wearing gas masks, camouflage outfits, invisibility uniforms, making inventory...Behind them, other automatic machines are putting together the last parts of bipod/tripod vehicles, fitted with giant pliers. Half of them, once completed, are used to carry containers and heavy gear. The others are turned into state-of-the-art infernal war super machines...

Above them, security drones, shaped like mini-helicopters, are patrolling with a watchful eye...and one of them heads straight toward Nobita ! The latter instantly runs for his life and flees away from the footbridge. Fearing to be detected, he falls back and randomly hide in a kind of storeroom, in the opposite wall to the windowed one. He gets to the grounds and squeezes under a trolley carrying a pile of crates. In a complete darkness and silence, he hears the drone passing by without noticing him...He's had a narrow and lucky escape, but it was a close call !

Nobita remains still, quite unquiet and troubled by all he's seen (and heard) :

Nobita : ''Gosh, it was close ! That place was unbearable, I understand why they use robots, no one could survive there !...It's clear these guys didn't chose this complex only to avoid the police forces, there're conspiring something. They have a fantastic invasion army, and since this place is originally a factory, it won't be subject to any control. Unless...''

Nobita shuts himself away for a while, trying to devise a new plan, considering this new discovery. He's aware that he should focus on the terrorists' leader first, but what he saw let him horror-struck. He could stay on the safe side and skulk forward stealthy to his target, but his loathe for violence prevails over his pragmatism and caution, he feels like sabotaging everything ! He carefully peeks out, pointing his gun in all directions...There's nobody, he can go out and take some fresh air :

Nobita : "I'm really getting sick of it ! First, I found myself locked up in a crowded cage, then a tiny corridor hotter than a cave full of lava, a never ending narrow tunnel, and now a goddamn closet darker than a moonless night ! The heck is that ? A...a powder magazine ?'', he cries out reading a small signboard stuck to his shelter's door...

He finds an interrupter and switches on the light. While inspecting what's lying around, he comes across many barrels filled with highly explosive powder and chemical products phials, opens a crate full of automatic machine guns, and picks one up. But while cheeking if it's really loaded, he recklessly knocks the crate over, spilling the weapons on the ground, almost crushing his feet...

The loud noises alerts a near robot team patrolling around, which instantly pins him down and rushes at him while he's getting out. Under fire, Nobita retaliates, returning fire with his new weapon, but the bullets ricochet off them. Assailed and unable to strike back, Nobita hides behind the door and randomly grabs other weapons from the crate like a bat out of hell...

This way, he uses a series of weapons, from incendiary tommy-guns and electric cannons to cluster grenade launchers and electromagnetic shotguns with corrosives bullets with devastating effects. Many robots are disintegrated and heavily damaged, the other take shelter facing this counterattack. Nobita picks up a heavy laser machine-gun and bursts out, determinate to clean up the place...

But the surviving robots don't give up. One of them charges its mini-cannon up and open fire at full load : a condensed energy shoot hits the floor close to him, the blasts violently thrusts him and throws him back in the storeroom, his face lacerated with glass splinters and whacked by the dust projections...He's in a terrible predicament :

Nobita (curling up) : ''Oooooh, it really gets on my nerves !''

As reinforcements are backing up, many shots of all sorts whistle through the air, riddling the wall. Nobita manages to dodge them, but he won't resist long. A deafening alarm rings out, dozens of red warning lights are lit up, like an ambulance's flashing lights, and reflected on every surface. This hellish atmosphere is unbearable for Nobita who shuts the down kicking it with his foot, and remains laid down, stuck against the floor to avoid the shoots through the walls.

Nobita remembers where he's cornered into : a poorly aimed shoot could blow up the whole place !

Nobita : ''I'm not really a believer, but I'm gonna need a miracle ! Or else I'm heading for disaster !''

While panicking, he fiddles with his weapon in the dark trying to reload it, and inadvertently switches on a torch fixed upon it and thanks to it, he notices a vent leading to an air duct just big enough for him. He creeps into it, grabbing a grenade at full speed, waiting for his enemies to gather near the door and storm in.

One of them, in a dreadful racket, making strident sharp noises, charges up his demolishing arm and smashes the door at full blast. Nobita pulls the pin out of his grenade and throws it behind him, while clenching his fist and hitting the grille at the end of the air duct, crashes through it and makes his way out, back into the corridor and goes to the ground after running a few meters away from the storeroom, his hands covering his head...The robots locates him and take aim at him with their hybrid weapons integrated to their arms, but it's too late :

The explosion occurs straight at the good time and grinds them down, smashed to pieces, blowing up the windows and causing the ceiling above the explosion to collapse, blocking the corridor. The power of the blast rocks the whole area, sending what's left of the pulverized robots flying above Nobita, and causes the alarms to stop working. There's a power cut, but only this area is affected : the factory's still active, its horrible hubbub is now more audible through the broken windows, and obviously, Nobita's action doesn't seem to have attracted their attention yet...

Still down on the ground, stunned and shattered by the blast, the awful sound of the explosion whistling in his ears. He gets up awkwardly and stumbling, trying to dull the pain in his ears...

Nobita (thinking) : ''At that rate, I'll soon need to buy a new pair of ears !''

Nobita gazes at the new amount of damages he's just caused, exhausted. But he feels the ground shaking, rocked by a dull rumble, a heavy footstep-like thud coming from the other side of the heap of rubble blocking off the corridor...Nobita's worried about that, and quite rightly so : a mecha-like robotic humanoid armored bipod, with claws-shaped demolitions arms, breaks through the debris pile, romping through without difficulty, and now facing Nobita in a new duel :

Nobita (astounded): ''...You're...one big ugly machine ! And...OH CRAP !'', he yells getting down in a hurry.

The machine's turret shoots a thermo-controlled missile, but since the windows were blown up, a sudden draft caused the flames shooting out of the steel factory to sweep in and set a small fire at the end of the corridor, behind Nobita, much hotter than the heat of Nobita's body, guiding the missile away from Nobita, just above him, which's great speed of propulsion carries him along, projecting him down behind. It goes exploding against the wall on fire, missing its target. The whole impacted area is weaken ; the scrappy ceiling is ready to collapse as well...

Nobita slowly walks backwards, staring at the machine, walking forward to him at the same speed. The bipod's cockpit opens, exposing the terrorist controlling it, roaring like a lion watching out his future prey :

Terrorist (sadistic tone) : ''Hello, cutie pie ! Did you enjoy my missile ?''

As an answer, Nobita takes aim at him and shoots with his blaster machine gun. But the lasers are absorbed by a protection screen, making him invulnerable to his shoots...

Terrorist : ''Who do you take me for ? You thought I would be stupid enough to risk myself like this ? Hahahahan such a fool !''

Still shooting without hope of succeeding, Nobita drops his weapon when it runs out of energy, and looks at the laughing man, attempting to detect his weakness...And decides to seize upon his enemy's overestimation of himself :

Terrorist : ''What a pity ! I'll take much pleasure in taking your insignificant life ! The Devil's organizing a great party in hell just for you, it'd be a shame to make him wait !''

Nobita (defying tone) : ''You must be another one of this depressed incompetent idiots moron trying to show off...But the details of your morbid tastes don't interest me...Now go back to playing in your kindergarten with your toys, I'm busy !''

Terrorist (after a moment of silence) : ''You gonna regret it, Imma make mincemeat of you !''

Boiling with rage, the terrorist initializes the arming system : his machine disassembles and rebuilds into a monstrous shaped indented giant wheel, and the atomic-powered jet engines are activating, propelling the wheel at great pace, scraping and trenching everything on its way. But he's blinded by his anger and forgets to turn on the tracking system, feeling his way along groping for his target.

And when he realizes it, Nobita jumps aside, dodging him. Trying to handle his machine manually, the terrorist lacks time to veer off trajectory, carried along by its speediness and comes to colliding at full shot with the wall where the missile crashed. In a hurry, he turns his machine back into its original bipod shape and turns over. But facing this second brunt, the ceiling yields and collapses, crushing him under a ton of rubble. Even the shield cannot resist...

Nobita gets up calmly and briefly turns his head to look at the buried remains if the machine :

Nobita (bored) : ''These children...They never listen to the elders ! I really wonder what kind of parent would be irresponsible enough to let them play with so dangerous toys ! […] They all fall into the same trap, I've never seen so sensitive terrorists, they're easily riled !''

Deep inside, Nobita knows he's got a real nerve talking about irresponsibility, when he remember what how he behaved with Doraemon and everybody in his life...Following this misfortune, Nobita tries to convince himself to flee this place and refocus on his main objective, but as he passes through the hole dug through the heap of rubble that blocked the bipode from reaching Nobita, he notices that some reinforced security doors were lowered down, closing off the whole sector.

Cornered again, Nobita grabs a traditional 'bullet-loaded' machine gun on the charred remains of a robot, uses its torch to find his way and discovers several other powder storerooms in the corridor where he is, each on filled with tons of explosives and C4...

Nobita could use them to cause a disastrous mess triggering a mass panic among the terrorists, and even put an end to their invasion army...But even if the defense system seems to be disrupted, the place is surely well-guarded ; Nobita would be picked off like a fly at his first step forward. And Nobita can exclude the possibility of breaching the walls armored with reinforced concrete, or even find a loophole to discretely get round and reach the factory...He'll need to be patient, skilful and clever to achieve his goal...and even more to get out of there in one piece !

Thankfully, an opportunity turns up itself : a terrorist, visibly upset and in a rush, escorted by a security robot, order the opening of one armored door and enters in the restricted zone where Nobita is. He heads to a small door opening onto a remote monitoring room, where the servers of the complex's communication network are stored too.

While the big armored door is brought down again, the man isolates himself, shut-away in the room. The robot keeps watch, on its guard. A strong green light is coming out of his electronic eyes, scanning the corridor where Nobita's hiding to spy on them. He senses it's probably a probing night vision, he may be located if he stay there...

Plucking up courage, he holds his breath and takes aim at the robot's head, ready for a resistance test, but he refrains at the last moment, as he sees the robot is strangely quiet and looking inert, probably in power-saving pause mode. As Nobita notices it, when the light is turned on, a valve is opened to the level of its cyborg head, to let a small projector lamp opens out, exposing its neuronal processor. After calculating the time spent between each ray of scan light, he manages to avoid it, silently sidles up to it and successfully reaches the microprocessor, deactivates it by unplugging an electric wire, used as its cranial nerve, neutralizing it...

Nobita then tiptoes near the door, opens it partway and peeks in furtively. The man is quite busy reconfiguring the computers and the surveillance screens' commands. It's time to set on him as he's distracted : Nobita breaks in and takes aim at the surprised man, drawing his gun in confusion :

Nobita (cocking his gun's hammer) : 'I'd not attempt this if I were you ! Unless you want to end up with a piece of iron in-between your two eyes !''

The man was taken aback and fearing for his life, he's forced to surrender, staring at him with a distressed and interrogative looks, as he drops his gun and raises his hands over his head.

Terrorist : ''So that's YOU the responsible for this mess !''

Nobita (picking up some wire cable on the ground) : ''You still haven't figured it out ?''

Terrorist : ''No, our communications are on the blink, it's been two hours now ! And with all that noise, we can't hear anything ! We lost contact with one of our patrolling robotized team in this sector, and there was an electric surge that caused the current power to blow. We locked up this place until we know what happened here...''

Nobita : ''So you didn't know it was me ?''

Terrorist (aggressive) : ''I've just told you ! We though first it was a short circuit, then we smelt this foul odor of powder in the air, probably it was due to an accident with one of the powder magazines, fortunately they were only robots in the team...We sent a bipod guard patrolling there, but we lost contact again...And since we have to cope with this unexplained communication crash, in addition to a strange dysfunction in the security system, we didn't have a single fucking reason to think it was you !''

This news seems to restore a renewed hope for Nobita, cheerfully welcoming the fact that his enemies cannot coordinate their actions nor rely on their security system. Visibly experiencing difficulties in controlling the complex, Nobita's new range of opportunities is wide...He makes us of his wire cable to tie his ''catch'' up, starting his first interrogatory :

Terrorist : ''How did a single brat became...you, and hang in there so much time ? So Incredible !''

Nobita : ''Your goofy face is even more incredible, I understand why you guys often wear hoods ! [...] But let's go back to my question...Hmm, where did I left off ?''

Terroriste : ''Whatever, you'll get caught, at one time or another ! You'll deal w...''

Nobita : ''All right, stay quiet, okay ? They all kept telling me...In short, don't make me lose my time again, is that clear ? Well, to start, what are you doin' here ?''

Terrorist (grudgingly) : ''Hmm...here is a communication relay room, I was suggested to go working there to reset and fix this problem with the security network, and to check if it was related to the explosion...I jumped on this chance to escape this goddamn racket, my ears are fragile !''

Nobita (cogitating) : ''I see...If I understand, the system malfunctions, but still works !''

Terrorist (mocking tone) : ''When you send a message, for example to a reinforcement team, or our Lord, it needs ages to come to them ! The cameras are defectives, some defense turrets fail to function...If you consider that as a perfectly operational system, then it's efficiently working in perfect condition ! […] We don't have the right to directly contact our lord, we have to cope with the trouble by ourselves, but if the situation escalates into uncontrollable crisis, they're currently unreachable ! It's complete nonsense ! All because of the mess you're causing !''

Nobita feels flattered, as he's locked up in the most hyper-protected and highly monitored secured place, filled with technologies overwhelming him, looking so outdated and duffer with his already old-timed gun. And yet, he still manages to cause everything to degenerate into a spectacular panic chain reaction ! To him, he was doubtlessly born to cause trouble !

He thinks it over, and decides to take advantage of it. He orders his prisoner to teach him how to use the explosives and detonators he found in the powder storerooms. Although hostile and raging not to be able to do something, he has to bring himself to obey him, the same applying for the technologies and computers in the room, that Nobita wants to use to trick his enemies.

Thanks to his 'advises', Nobita definitely counteracts and neutralizes the alarm and defense systems in the factory, though there were already half-inoperative. And to terminate, he voluntarily stimulates the intruders tracker in a random sector in the ventilation system away from his position, somewhat of a big surprise for his prisoner :

Terrorist : ''What the hell are you doing ? These are not toys, it's worth billions of dollars !''

Nobita : ''I'm not playing, you fool ! If what you told me is right, we will need to wait several hours before your chief learn about the intruder tracking system being activated, in a place I'll never go to ! They will be tricked for a long time, letting me the time to do what I planned to do !''

Terrorist : ''You're stupid, he's controlling the whole complex, nothing comes out of his sight !''

Nobita : ''Oh yeah ? Then why didn't he raise the alarm earlier, like when I blew up this place ? You'd have known it was me ! Either he doesn't care much about you, or he's blind ! He controls nothing !'', he says sitting down on a suspension seat.

The terrorist must admit that he's right : strange sleazy things are occurring around here, and his hierarchy is extremely long to react, worrying him. He watches Nobita, as he looks around, delves into the room, paying much attention to what he can observe through the surveillance screens, which he uses to identify the security patrols and spot the different areas he wandered in, along with new ones unknown to him. But most of all, when he compares with the maps he found in the room, he notes that so far, he was unaware of the existence of many other private areas, shown on the screens, but not on the maps used by the terrorists : visibly, these were also tricked by their leader, as part of his 'game' with Nobita, and they were stupid enough not to notice the difference...

Nobita keeps an eye on his prisoner, who's constantly gazing at him, his nose buried in the screens, hatching a plan to make his way right to the heart of the factory without being detected...

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	11. Childhunt & Hallucinations

**Chapter 11 : **

After a few minutes of intense thoughts about how he's going to grasp the complexity of his situation and apprehends the new troubles his intrusion attempt in the highly-protected factory shall get him into, Nobita prepares to take action when he sees some working drawing and multiples plans showing him how to use some wonderfully intricate time-communicating machines, that could come out more than handy and useful soon, according to him...

'Briefed' and well-informed by the terrorist he took prisoner about an hour before, Nobita is able to use his C4 to go mining the factory and exploding the whole place in a desperate attempt at slowing them down in war effort...And the situation, for once, brings its bath of good news, as Nobita's just found...Mini-Dora pocket !

Nobita : ''Am I...dreaming ? Wouldn't it be...Doraemon gadgets ?'', he cries out picking a mobile pocket and randomly pulling the ''Hit Maker'' from it.

Terrorist : ''You talkin' 'bout these detestable servant automatons showing off with their ''I can solve any problem'' pockets ? Yes, there're many more in this cardboard box, but it's only for experimental projects !''

Nobita (feeling offended) : ''You Better be careful about the tone you assume when you talk about them ! I have, well I had a very good buddy among them, so don't ever 'chat' with me on this subject that negatively again ! […] _Experimental_, what does it mean ?''

Terrorist : ''That we'll never use these junk stuffs for our actions ! These tin cans...*ouch* [...Nobita hits his head...]...these robots can keep those obsoletes gadgets for themselves, our Lord considers that they aren't enough...deadly, and it's not funny ! We just use them to elaborate more sophisticated, powerful, useful and...lethal models !''

Nobita (angry) : ''I recognize my own stupidity : always wanting more than what I have ! Now, I understand why I never had to fight terrorists armed with those gadgets, it seemed a pretty unlikely for guys coming from this time ! But obviously, they would need to cause even more pain !''

Terrorist : ''These pointless things won't help you ! Our Lord will do anything to throw you more roadblocks and make your life horrendous, he won't let you get away that easily ! He's the most powerful Lord in the universe, won't let anyone push him back and interferes with his plans !''

Nobita (upset) : ''My life was horrendous before, and yet I'm here ! Why do you devote him such a cult ? What does he have that special, except his rash sociopaths impulsive desires ?''

Terrorist : ''He's the embodiment of success ! Before, he was a carpenter, an insignificant lost soul in a savage merciless society, and now there's no stopping him, the great powerful Lord with an unrestricted dominium, teaching, like the hand of God, how to carve out our place at the top of a world we will dominate, by taking up the world with by force and fear ! That's why he's leading us, he just shows us the best path forward !''

Nobita (disconcerted) : [...''So fanatic !'', Nobita thinks...] ''He was a carpenter, you said ? In that case, if you see him again, remind him that he needs to carve a coffin, 'cause I'll soon make him a cadaver if he keeps playing with my nerves !'', he says with a threatening tone, sticking the pocket to his tummy.

Nobita is now ready to go. He starts to gag his prisoners, still securely tied to his chair and unable to move. But he's suddenly gripped with a discomfort headache, feeling faint, like a ghost is having fun screwing his head with a jackhammer. His vision gets confused and his senses are blurred...He briefly loses consciousness and finds himself, without any reason, walking in a desert street, suspended and floating in an ocean of fully white air. Time seems to be interrupted and frozen. Nobita doesn't feel his body nor any unpleasant sensations anymore, only a strange brand new feeling of lightness and coolness, almost like an undisclosed sensation bursting out of nowhere and quite pleasant for Nobita, like he's wrapped up in a sweet silk towel after a warm bath...

But the strangest thing is that he's in the company of Doraemon, walking by his side, smiling happily, as if nothing happened. And yet, there is every reason to believe that Nobita is actually back to his normal life, after defeating the terrorist threat...He and his friend are conversing on various subjects, but they obviously drag on their most recent subject, namely the few and low virtue Nobita grants himself, as well as his innumerable flaws and disasters he still accuses himself of...No to mention the execrably detestable negative opinion he's got for himself :

Doraemon : ''Do you only know yourself a bit ?''

Nobita : ''I know what I need to know about me.''

Doraemon : ''In other words, you need nothing...Cause you know nothing !''

Nobita : ''How are you to affirm that I don't know myself ?''

Doraemon : ''I see things you cannot see, just like you see things I cannot see. And you're far from being aware of who you really are !''

Nobita : ''I'm not that sure...You know, at the beginning, there were only humans, without society, equals in their abilities and free to do whatever they wanted with them, with no one to judge them...But then civilization came, and in our new common world, we're divided in two categories : winners and losers...I know which side I belong to, I know which side I'd like to sit on, but I don't know how to cross the line between the two. I belong to the side I set myself in forever. That's all I see and want to know.''

Doraemon : ''Your definition of the world is a bit too sharp and strict ! We were created with many defects and faults...But we were left the possibility of choosing and handle our own destiny ! […] So...just join up these two 'sides' to become one, like everyone's got them two in him...and then choose which one you wanna show ! Get rid of that 'loser reputation label' you were forced to stick on you and impose yourself to the world as the one you truly are, no one can stop you !''

Nobita : ''If only it were that easy...''

Doraemon : ''The only thing easy is not to try...''

The conversation goes on, but Nobita is abruptly cut off from the scene, feeling like he's not concerned anymore, escaping from his own body. Everything withers in his mind and another dreadful headache torture his head and poisons his thoughts...He's apparently had a kind of daydream and his head spinning, floundering, dazed and distracted, his mind somewhat wrapped up in a thick mist. He opens wide his eyes : he's back in the communication relay room, in front of his prisoner, which's presence troubles Nobita :

Nobita (scratching his hair and shaking hiss body) ''You...you still here ?''

Terrorist (disconcerted again) : ''You didn't sleep tonight...What you talkin' about ? You started to gag me just a second ago and then just stopped all of a sudden and started to rub your eyes, like someone lighted up a spotlight straight in the eyes ! You look like someone who...''

Nobita : ''...is getting out of bed ?''

Terrorist : ''In a way, yes ! But don't pretend that you had the time to return home, have a nap and jog back here double-quick in less than half a second ; I won't believe you !''

Nobita is quite confused and muddled : how was he able of dreaming of so many things in only a second, without falling asleep or even moving, in one go, like taken by an illumination ?

It turns out quite unsettling and distressing ! Intrigued by these unfixed and troubling sensations, he stands still for a moment, like petrified in time again. He doesn't understand why he had such a vision, contrasting with his daily usual nightmares...For the first time, his lost friend Doraemon, was addressing him to comfort and console him, believing in him, making him...happier !

He somehow feels a bit cheered up, even though he's aware that it was only a dream, and certainly not a premonitory one !

He pulls himself together, recovers from his emotions and returns to what he's was doing beforehand, definitely shutting his prisoner up. He leaves the rooms and decides to rob the first powder storeroom he'll find on his way to stuff his Mini-Dora pocket with C4 and heavy explosives, and finally elaborates an infiltration tactic to enter the factory...

As he gets out of the storeroom, he notices the now inoffensive motionless carcass of the robot, which was supposed to ensure the safety of the communication relay room, previously deactivated. In the end, Nobita guesses it would be wiser and cautious to use it as a disguise to remains confined, more protected and anonymous among his 'fellows', limiting the risks of being detected or captured. By luck, this one is hollow, probably designed to be piloted manually in case of major malfunction. But no matter how he tries, there's no way he can get in : it doesn't fit with Nobita's size, way to tall, and it's not even made of the standard elastic and flexible materials that would adapt it to suit Nobita's body, like on the other robots...And it's quite frustrating :

Nobita : ''There're dozen, no hundreds of thousand robots patrolling in the complex...And I have to encounter the only one smaller than me !'', he cries out extremely disappointed and tired...

That is then that Nobita accidentally prick his finger on a needle inside the armor. He withdraws it in pain and shake it as a reflex, and the armor strangely modifies itself, like undergoing a mutation, changing itself to a more bulky armor, getting significantly larger...The needle, a DNA detector, analyzed the blood samples from Nobita's finger to identify and recognize him as the new 'host' and possessor of the armor, and to adapt its shape, weigh and seize to Nobita's. The latter does not try to understand and whips on his new combination.

A soft feminine voice, like the one giving rhythm to each arrival and departure in Tokyo's train station, and suggest Nobita switches and enter into 'telepathic' mode, which Nobita agrees on without really understanding...

A voice recognition system validates his application. From now on, Nobita's thoughts will control and animate the robot, allowing him to get around and interact with his environment freely. He turns off the scanning lamp and uses a scrambler to release electroparalyzing waves that will prevent the other robots from knowing that a human his controlling the armor from inside...

Nobita roams in the industrial complex, coming across many robot patrols on his way. Since he's moving on his own, they often ask him to decline identity and request his code name and number. Fortunately, the robot is equipped with an automatic ''stand-to-attention'' function, mechanically repeating the information he's required to deliver and come up with a random function the robot was programmed for (like repairing a leak or cleaning up the floor) that justifies its solitary displacement in this sector, and sometimes changing the armor's appearance like a chameleon in case he would meet the same patrol twice...

As he searches for a way in the factory, he sees a huge thick armored door, guarded by a dozen sentinels and blocked by organic tissues detectors...The voice warns him that his armor isn't recent enough model to foil the security, and that's he's statically unlikely to have a chance to get through this crossing point, even more if he's got to flee away in case of emergency...

He gives up and turns back, but he doesn't lose hope : he steps into a manhole, taking care to active his night vision and the odor neutralizer. After wading in a fouled water and dejection mixture, he turns an old rusted valve to unlock an escape trapdoor blocking his way out of the manhole tunnel, climbs up the ladder and ends up in a vast hangar full of transport vehicles, armored trucker and speeders kept in suspense above the floor by antigravity captors.

Unfortunately for him, he's in a restricted defended area exclusively reserved for humans and transport bipod robots. He's located by snipers up on several footbridges comparable to the ones from where Nobita observed the factory, and they immediately try to eliminate him. Nobita recognizes the red laser trackers from their rifles and just has the time to hide out behind a truck before a hail of bullet hits him...

Nobita : ''Oops, I think I messed up !''

Nobita is unable to respond, as his enemies are well hidden. Some of them use propelling jets to get down from their position and take shelter behind jersey barriers, safe from Nobita's shoots. He's manages to hit one, the bullets piercing through his jet-pack, which implodes and whirls in the air, swirling in an unbreakable whisper, sending the unfortunate man crashing at full speed against a wall. But they're too many of them ; Nobita can't take aim, as he will be shot down by the snipers, cornered behind the armored trucks, between which the bullets bounce off, risking to hit Nobita at any time.

Nobita : ''Stop hiding, you cowards ! It bores me ! […] Damn, If I get out of this muck up alive, I swear I'll never steal Doraemon's dorayakis again !''

As he's meandering in-between the multiple vehicles to elude his pursuers, Nobita randomly gets in a truck, but once inside, he's trapped, almost caught by the terrorists firing tirelessly. He shoots back through the windscreen to gain some time and keep them distant. Since he has nothing to lose, and feeling his own end approaching, he presses some keys on the dash panel inside the truck's cockpit, and inadvertently starts the truck's engine up...Nobita's getting panicked when he sees the control screens jiggling and the collision detectors warning him that the truck, now driving straight into the jersey barriers the terrorists are hiding behind...

But Nobita's got more than one trick up his sleeve, well his truck, and searches for the gasoline level indicator, thinking about how he could set the fuel on fire to turn it into a dangerous '_bomb gift_' for his enemies, that could at least root them out...But he quickly realizes that the truck is electricity-powered

Nobita : ''I never thought I would reproach a vehicle for not being polluting one day ! […] I'm gonna have to use my C4, I hope there will be some left...and that it'll be enough ! [...He hears the snipers up the footbridges laughing and screaming as they have located him in the cockpit and are about to shoot him dead...] So, you're having fun ? Having a laugh at me ? Then I'll make you EXPLODE with laughter !''

In a hasty move, Nobita stick some of his plastic explosives, inserts the blasting caps into the C4 blocks, wires them to his detonator, when the trucks pass by two magnetic-suspended speeders, he discretely jumps out of the vehicle after pulling the acceleration lever, creeping under one of the speeders...Everybody thinks he's still on board and concentrate their deadly fire on the booby-trapped truck. Nobita uses his detonator when the truck bangs into the jersey barriers, causing a monumental blast !

Nobita (covering his head) : ''Oh crap, I hope the other truck aren't full of explosives too ! Or else they'll need months to wash our remains out !''

The explosion shake the hangar, the heavy detonations blow up all the windows and the land vehicles' tires, in a dreadful racket. Near the location of the explosion, nothing resists, all his smashed to pieces and the jet-pack terrorists die on the spot. Everyone else is unbalanced and thrown back by the force of the blast, and the snipers upstairs have to evacuate their position, caught in the explosion's resulting incandescent cloud, and as the footbridges collapse down in the fire. The other trucks are violently thrown against each other, creating a horrible chaos...

Some giant spiders-shaped security robots which rushed in as reinforcements just at the same moment are badly damaged, their captors and sensitive parts are broken up by the impact forces, making them run crazy and uncontrollable, shooting at each other...The situation goes into a serious tailspin, to Nobita's luck, taking advantage of the big mess he caused once again to burst out of his hiding place and open an intense fire...

Nobita : ''Oh my ! I feel sorry for the one who will have to pay for the damages !''

Nobita took the precaution to cover his ears, and can still hear his enemies moving, relying on his hearing to detect them. Temporary deaf and dizzy, they unsuccessfully try to go round Nobita, but he lures them and systematically eliminates each one trying to take him by surprise.

For once, Nobita doesn't lack self-confidence and the great shooter he is makes him feel more powerful. Many deadly clashes and shoot-outs occurs, but the terrorists are shot down the ones after the others by an over-active unrelenting Nobita, unleashing his rage on them, using and abusing his armor's thermal infrared vision to see through the blaze's smoke ; the terrorists are suffocating and overpowered...

Running out of ammo and men, the remaining survivors send out a distress radio SOS. The intense fire blocks the hangar's entrance. Some drones come to drop several armored men, like a helicopter squadron. Nobita shoots them down with all his remaining ammo, but one man lands on the floor after crossing the fire barrier and attacks him with his neutron machine gun, disintegrating, piercing and blasting through everything the bullets hit, forcing Nobita to run over and over again.

Waiting for a new brilliant salutary idea to pop up in his mind, Nobita turns round the terrorist, who's got trouble following him with such a heavy armor. And when Nobita moves between him and the increasing fire, feeding with the powder and chemical residues on the ground, the terrorist's look is blinded and the terrorist's considerably slowed down. Nobita has saved enough time to grab a light machines gun on a corpse and empties his clap on him...without any effect !

Armored Terorist : ''I'm immunized against that, you can't beat me !''

Nobita : ''Oh yeah ? Wait a second, please !''

Nobita picks up a grenade launcher in a crate he's just noticed at the last moment, while the man is reloading, and shoots at him again, thrusting him against a wall. The grenade release a smoke bomb, paralyzing him. And a second fragmentation bomb sticks to his armor, pierces through it and is ignited, killing him on the spot :

Nobita : ''Get immunized against that, Mr. hot stuff !'', he exclaims trying to improve the atmosphere...

But Nobita cannot hang around any longer, especially when he sees a heavily armed patrol consisting of dozen man-controlled bipods, as the fire is fading with the fire-protection system turned on. Soaked and frazzled, Nobita uses the tools his armor is equipped with to unscrew and unbolting a gate marking the entry of a vent pipe, and creeps into it in a rush, eager to flee this terrible carnage...

Nobita : ''I couldn't be more discreet !'', he cries out locking up the gate behind him.

He is able to escape the reinforcement troops conducting a sweep search in the hangar, combing the whole area with meticulous attention and scouting out all the escape ways throughout the sector. They have just realized that there are in a shoot-out scene, judging by the lifeless bodies on the ground and flooded with empty cases on which several men slid, causing a general mirth :

Nobita already suspected that he was facing an enemy which happened to be more a big band of birdbrain incompetent morons only good at using a gun and obey in a willful blindness than real organized professionals, under the orders of an insane master using them as vulgar pawns in a board game manipulating them to his wishes...

But they remain dangerous and trained enough, and Nobita, now cornered in a labyrinth of pipes and air ducts, like a rabbit wandering in an everlasting burrow, is quite a tight spot...

Nobita (while to creep slowly) : ''Nobitaaaa, pleaaase, do me a favor : just remind me how you ended up stuck in such an absurd mess ? DAMN, why the hell do we always need to put up with a goddamn vent pipe in that kind of situation ? I'm really getting sick and fed up with playing the plumber ! […] Dang it, here I go complaining again...What cheapskates !''

Indeed, complaining won't pull him off from this predicament ; Nobita's fully aware that we'll have to stay calm to find a nth solution to an nth problem he'll have to get through for the nth time...He thinks it over, but he quickly unable to go on, suddenly suffering from dreadful headache and all the symptoms that tormented him when he was taken by hallucinations and odd visions while gagging his prisoner.

But this time, he feels his body's temperature soaring, like a flushing fever. He's cold and sees his surrounding environment flexing and getting distorted...Fantastic creatures coming straight out of a terror book appear now and then. Shadows, articulated skeletons, ghosts, horribly slimy vicious aliens, sharp teeth zombies and many other spectrums-like monsters are moving aimlessly all around him ; some frightening shivers make him jingle in fear, causing the pipe to vibrate under his frenetic movements...

Nobita realizes that he's the victim of a highly dangerous hallucinogenic gas when his vision turns to green and a whistling sound of stale air deflected in the vent where he is, coming to whisper in his ears, like he's stuck in a gust of wind. His armor's gas filters are inoperative, probably damaged during the previous fight...Nobita summons up all his strength, he wrestles to stay lucid and remembers that Mini-Dora pocket he stole in the communication relay room...He's already missed many occasions to make use of it !

He really feels stupid and scatterbrained, but he's got no time to blame himself for being so absent-minded and forgettable again.

He briefly gets in Doraemon's shoes and pulls out many gadgets from the pocket, panicking in an intense chaotic jungle-like mess, before finally acquiring the ''Crossing Circle'', allowing him to open a gateway out of the vent pipe...And he finds himself in the right middle of the factory, surrounded by hundreds, even millions of robots working with renewed vigor to their grim tasks...

Nobita (horrified) : ''That's the heck a giant anthill, over here !''

Nobita struggles not to show that he's impaired by the gas, visibly not affecting synthetic or robotics organisms. He forces himself not to tremble and stands totally still, stowing his crossing circle away in his pocket...Nobody seems to be paying attention to him, excepting an iron diving armor-shaped robot, with a portable drill integrated to its left arm, a strange neon-green liquid flushing through some translucent hoses connected to his armored helmet, containing a crystal releasing a harsh yellowish light.

He's obviously the chief and at a first glance, he's suspicious about Nobita's behavior, surely about to uncover him. He comes upon him and accosts him with rude and scornful tone :

Robot (loud voice) : ''Eh, there, what is this ? What're you doin' here ? And what's that grotesque way to stand up ? […] What, you are digging holes in the pipes ? It's sabot...''

Nobita is quite in a hurry and needs to improvise a good and appropriate answer for not being discovered and convince the chief robot into leaving him alone...But it's not easy !

Nobita (interrupting with a mocking voice) : ''Oooh, shut up ! you are the only grotesque one here ! I was charged to repair something here, but...I...well...I need to go to the toilets !...Err..So I took a shortcut !''

Every robot ceases its activity and turned over, surprised to witness such a scene, and almost admiring Nobita for answering and holding their tyrant superior back...

Robot (indignant) : ''You...YOU MAKING A FOOL OF ME ?''

Nobita (improvising in a hurry, chanting) : ''Err...don't you know our beloved ch...err, LORD wants to make us more human and friendly, more...realistic ! […] And he gave me this faculty, I can go to the toilets...And you won't get it ! Tralalalaaaaa !'', he cries out walking backward and wincing a mocking smile...

Robot : ''YOU Bast...WHAT ? You serious ? That's not fair, what about me ?''

Nobita : ''Because he likes me da most and enjoys my company...He's been playing with me for a while now ! [...You bastard !, he thinks...] Well, I need to pee, I have to leave. So long !''

Robot (watching him running away, turning back) : ''Hmm...I'll need to talk our Lord about this, it'd be cool !...And he almost called him '_chief_', I will report it to him, maybe he'll be happy and reward me by offering me the same...'abilities' ! And that fool will get punished and scraped for breaking !'', he says scratching his head to pretend to be thinking, and sneering evilly...

He turns over and yells to all the robots to go back to work straight away, and goes back to his duty guard...

Nobita (hiding behind a big pipe): ''I shouldn't complain about that, but...What an IDIOT ! Even a deaf guy would have rumbled my con-trick ! That robot is a disgraceful junk scrap ; Oooh, Doraemon, I miss you deeply !''

Nobita narrowly escaped capture again, but he's still floored by his shivers and it's driving him mad, still overwhelmed by more horror-like visions and his vision now turning to red, like he's just gulped down a whole tube of antidepressants...

He yells by accident, but the scream is covered by the machines' racket. His heart beats overly fast and he breathes abnormally, like he is smoking one hundred cigarette pack in one go, his lungs clogged, gripping his throat and his irritated stomach tying. He draws his guns in panic, ready to shoot if another one of these 'ghosts' bursts again. But he retains and retracts at the last moment, retaking control of his actions for a while, but it's too late :

Another robot, more sophisticated and observing, saw him in action, taking him red-handed and detecting some human tissues under his armor. He gives alert and triggers the closure of automatic emergency doors. But the system fails to work and is disrupted. The malfunction causes the fire-protection system to be activated instead.

Like Doraemon, all the robots are visibly protected against dampness and water attacks, but this brutal water burst comes to cool the heavy and hot atmosphere. The condensed water evaporates and boils off into an invasive condensation steam cloud...

The robots are completely steamed up and their optical system is unsettled long enough to allow Nobita to pull another random gadget out of his pocket...He bumps into the ''Bug Off'', that he already used once, pouring some drops on his hair. An unbearable purple-colored toxic foul-smelling cloud emerges and repulses the robots massed all around him, feeling queasy and an intensely unpleasant sensation, horrified by this unknown assailant accelerating the natural rust of their robotic corporeal envelope...Nobita pumps up and charges all the energy he's got left in his armor and successfully smashes through the robots' defense line, escaping the siege and an inevitable capture.

But Nobita is not faring better and isn't in safety yet : some small flying drones are hunting him down, evading the Bug Off's effects thanks their stainless consistence, and to the ventilators that have been just activated in emergency and absorbing the cloud. Under fire, Nobita passes near the melted steel vats. He's hardly protected by his armor from the hellish heat :

Nobita : ''My God ! Between this suffocating heat and these damn flying pots of glue, I'm getting the best of the worst ! I am fortunate that they aim all wrong !''

And he does not say so : the intense heat triggers an unexpected malfunction in the drone's optical system, causing them to miss their target constantly. Nobita pulls a third gadget, the ''Out with the Demon Beans''. He throws them at his own face and yells the magic sentence at the same moment : he's instantly teleported out in the corridor he went by when he first came to this part of the facility, definitely eluding his pursuers...

Nobita (breathless) : ''*Gaps* S..Safe and alive after that...I broke my own record !...And when I think that I first used the Bug Off to keep Shizuka away from me because I wanted...*Cough*...I wanted her to hate me, but it was for her own good...I had already understood that I would never fit and live a happy life in couple made...made of a girl like her and a bad loser like me...! *Gaps* Oh, and the beans, I used them to escape from Gian, when he pursued me...and when he sang ! [...]

I guess loneliness and cowardice get to my blood ! *Gasp* I...I think it's time for a break..*gasp*...uff, I need a vacation !''

**[...Meanwhile, in Taikan's HQ...]**

Still comfortably seated in his royal armchair, Taikan's cheerfulness and festive mood are withering, feeling like a decaying to a bored mood. He's quite intrigued : when Nobita took control of the boiler room and after the released prisoners went away, he wasn't moving, still in place, walking around and pacing restlessly with his mute mechanical friend, inside the boiler room, and after a while, he left... It's been three hours now and nothing new happened has happened since...He cannot see him on any of his screens. He possibly took shelter in place which isn't under the cameras' surveillance. But why this sudden change of attitude after all he did ?

At this moment, he's accosted by one of his henchmen, who come to get him a message about his men's dissatisfaction and eagerness. Taikan reacts violently, harshly shouting at him, but not without admitting that may be right :

Taikan : ''May I remember you who you're talking to ? I'm your Lord, show me some more respect ! Have a care how you speak !''

Soldier : ''Sir, I don't intend to question your actions. I'm merely objectively reporting all the soldiers' opinions, reflexions, thoughts, advisory, remarks and critic...''

Taikan (angry) : ''Since when I'm asking my soldiers to think ? And I'm their God, no one ever criticizes me on my decisions ! What are they so afraid of ? What's that boy having that incredible ?''

Soldier : ''Sir, he killed many of our guys in a few hours, defeated our best elements among the elite themselves, including your own second-in-command, Leader of the Japanese Mafia, set all the hostages free, got through many of your traps, caused panic and heavy damaged, slew down our plans to control the complex...and spread doubt among the soldiers ! He scoffs at us, easily evade the security system, the most effective and inviolable ever created, and foils all our plans to neutralize him...He's only a child and he's beating the hell out of a whole army ; it makes them quite nervous and worried ! […]''

He paused, afraid of his master's reaction, but as the later glances at him with a curious look, he goes on without hesitating :

Soldier : ''...Note that, and you can't deny since you where the first to see it through your screens, he successfully knocked out several of our guys, armed to the teeth and real colossus with muscles of steel...when only 10 year-old ! It's a shame, and it's quite bad and appalling for our men's ego and self-confidence !

Oh, and he shoots splendidly, the best marksmen in the world are amateurs compared to him. He's too quick off the mark and a highly skilled fast-shooting child. Some of our guys would miss an elephant stuck in a narrow corridor just three meters away from them, while that kid would certainly pop at a tiny pin blown off by a tornado ! […]''

Taikan (thoughtful) : ''Hmm...imma think it over...I must confess I'm getting more and more surprised with him...He remains tireless and have successfully held our troops off all this time, I'm almost ashamed ! [...he laughs...] He would certainly be able to bake a strawberry cake with tomato sauce, nothing surprises me with him ! […] But I already terrorized the world as one of the most powerful warlord in the universe when he still drooled and sucked his rattle while filling his diaper in his cradle ! I'm not afraid of him...''

Soldier : ''Heu,...Sir...He was born about a century before you d...''

Taikan : ''I don't want your opinion, I knew about that you idiot ! […] Anyway, go back to tell them to get prepared and to relax : I have the situation in hand ! However, I won't hesitate to send them all fighting this devil they're so scared of, and without anything more than what this kid have, if they keep complaining ! Nothing, I said NOTHING here and soon in the whole world, occurs or happens without my permission ! […] That's my orders, execute them now !

Soldier (standing still) : ''As you wish !...Do we have to shoot-to-kill ?''

Taikan : ''No, I want him alive. Hunt him, find him, defeat him and bring him to me ! […] Ah and a very last thing : that lil monster left the boiler room a long time ago, and there's nothing now but emptiness, it's no fun ! Check if there's no problem with the surveillance and security system. It would be...'problematic' that this naughty boy does too much mischief while I can't keep an eye on him ! Get to work !...And the next one who will come to speak with me in this room will have to hold his body in his arms...And woe is the one who'll bring me a corpse !''

Soldier (standing guard) : ''Sir, yes Sir ! Consider it gone !''

As he leaves, Taikan refocuses on his screens, waiting for Nobita's next action to come, hoping everything is going all according to his plans...and wishes :

Taikan (crossing his hands) : ''Well, my lil boy, what kind of nasty trick are you going to play on me now ? C'mon, get out of this place and do something, I'm waiting !''

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	12. A Superman Is Born

**Chapter 12 : A Superman Is Born**

Catching his breath after a mad dash and escaping death at repeated occasions is quite a thrilling experience, emotionally charged. But as regards Nobita, he starts to get used to this and even gets a taste for his adventure in the heart of one of the biggest center of terrorism in the world's history, as he leads a personal crusade against this deadly pest, that voracious virus about to pour upon the Earth and shroud it in evil's darkness and pain, before consuming and destroying it completely...

Now recovering from his last misfortune, Nobita takes advantage of the bug which seems to be affecting and paralyzing the security system for hours to get along...The alarm was already been set off, attracting many patrols from the area to the weapon factory. But as the communications are cut off, they weren't informed that their target buggered off and his misusing one of their own robot's identity. He is able to reach a safer place, without fear of being located, but finally resign himself to taking shelter once again, terribly tired by his recent efforts and feats of arm, flustered at the thought that he'll have to backtrack and retrace his steps back to what he calls the ''Devil's Den'' to achieve what he failed to do during his first attempt :

Nobita : ''Well, I guess I can do it, after all this time I spent napping in my rooms and hanging out like a slacker ! […his thoughts go toward his friend...] Doraemon, I'll make you proud of me, maybe you'll forgive me in the end. I'll work myself...to death ! Can't wait for the end of all this !''

Forgetting about his suicidal wishes, Nobita watches inside the storeroom where he hid, looking for more explosives. But there's nothing else than high-tech weapons and laser swords packed up in steel hermetic chambers. Everything that could trigger another blast was removed by fear of another incident involving them...He grabs a weapon, noticing a beam of light coming from a mini-screen on it, on standby and only showing the current hour and timezone.

All of a sudden, even more suddenly that the first time it happens to him, Nobita is seized with the symptoms of a bad flu, just like if he were still under the influence of another hallucinogenic gas dose...But much more powerful and directly injected into his lungs !

He loses conscience once again, another phenomenon he's getting used to as well. It is not, therefore, perhaps so strange that he doesn't react sharply and lets himself get caught up in another daydream..And to his surprise, he meets Doraemon again, this time at home, in his well-tidied bedroom and filled with objects he never saw or had in his possession :

A new video game console, a jungle-like mess of mangas, toys, beautiful clothes. It feels so odd to have so many brand new things, so many...revival in this normally still and messed up place he's been living in for so many years :

Doraemon : ''It's great, isn't it ? It's always a real thrill to receive gifts, especially after saving the world ! You'll get used to it, you're worth them ! Just wait 'till Mom and Dad come back !''

Nobita, yet, remains unhappy and reclusive, withdrawn into himself under the chair near his repainted desk, in a nostalgic and ill-tempered mood, a merge of bitter melancholia and deep sadness, a sullen expression on his face. He obviously hasn't forgotten why and how he found himself facing the terrorists, nor the reasons that pushed him out of his house and convinced him to shut himself away and flee his own home, with pain and sorrow prevailing in his mind.

He lifts up his head and look at his friend, staring at him with a wonderful smile full of tenderness and love, a delighted expression, almost soothing and relieving that he's never seen before...But it's also a bit scary, just like Doraemon used his ''Watch Warmly'' look to keep on eye on him and support him in his rare decision to handle his problems by himself :

Nobita : ''I feel droop...and dizzy...''

Doraemon (laughing) : ''You mean dazed ! It's cool to be victorious...and winner !''

Nobita : ''Am I ?''

Doraemon : ''Yes, you are !''

Nobita : ''Being victorious...isn't what I'm good at !''

Doraemon : ''You're right, you're not good at it...you're the BEST !''

Nobita (sighing in doubt) : ''...''

Doraemon : ''Victory...a unique sensation, the most incredible and inimitable sensation ! When he are victorious, you see the whole world is bowing down to you, just for an instant ! The reward for so many efforts ; the merit, the gratitude of a thankful world for the great favor you did him ! Isn't that a good enough reason to hang on ? A reason to fall yourself over and work hard to achieve it ? […] After all you've been through, it'd be a blast of fresh and pure air in your life, purifying you from your suffering, free from all the bad prejudice you had about yourself ! Isn't that the beginning of a new start ? Don't you want to live a life made of success ? Don't you want...to taste it again ?''

Nobita (scrapping his head) : ''I guess you practiced much before saying that ? […] For me, victory...is what reminds you of all you could have done and accomplished in your life, but didn't because you had no strength to _hang on_, to _fall yourself over_, to _work hard_ just like you said...and just like I did ! In the end, it gives an even more bitter taste of defeat than when you actually fail ! […] A life made of success for a loser like m...''

Doraemon : ''Yes, Nobita ! A life of success, but without the 'loser' part ! You're not the kind of guy people will forget that easily ! After all you've done, you are on your way toward the realization of success, opening the doors of later happiness ! You are a hero, that can aspire to a better lif...''

Nobita : ''You mean I needed to be through all these hardships to get a goddamn better life ?''

Doraemon : ''Absolutely not ! You're someone great who failed his life only because he and everyone around thought he'd do. But the world gave you an opportunity to prove everybody wrong and show who you actually are ! You could have lived a great life without being praised as a superhero by the whole world as well, but you were, nevertheless, too unhappy and destined to become what you are now ! The only things which remain to be done are healing your wounds and pain, and get you up on your feet again...''

Nobita : ''There is no solution to my pain...I deserve what I've asked for ! I can't remember all the time I went through hard times and you tried to help me, in a thousand and one different ways ! But I never learnt...''

Doraemon : ''Nobita, when you have a problem, you have a solution ! If there's no solution, there's no problem ! You know, in a conflict, nobody is fully black or right, there's only different shade of grey ! The responsibility of your pain doesn't only come from you ! If you decide to work on it and really wish to make yourself happy, you can do it, I can do it, we can do it ! And you know many people, starting with your family and friend, who'd do anything to make you happy !''

Nobita (hesitating) : ''Why...why would they ?''

Doraemon (Sympathetic smile) : ''For the same reason than I do : because you have a place in my heart, you are my reason to live !''

Nobita cannot believe his ears : would Doraemon say the same and everyone actually love him more than anything in reality ? For someone like him who's so sure that everyone hates him and that he deserves to die, it's quite unexpected ! But his thoughts are interrupted when he hears a familiar voice, but contrasting with its sweet tone :

Nobita's Mom (sound of an opening door) : ''Doraaaaa-chan, Nobitaaaaa-kun, darling ! We're back, you can come down now, it's a surpri...''

Suddenly sucked up by an invisible and unstoppable force, Aspiré par une force invisible et unstoppable, Nobita hangs on to the carpet covering his bedroom's flooring but he's taken away along with fragments and pieces from his house which is getting decomposed and breaking up from inside. Doraemon disappears in multiples small pixilated cubes, like a video game character disintegrates and crumbles away when its vitality is gone. Nobita is violently knocked out by a bright white light, which seems to be sending him back in the real world, that Nobita wishes he was not reality, after what he has just lived...

But his eventful daydream is far from over, because this time, instead of going back in his real body and environment, he is like '_teleported_' in a second parallel universe, completely different and far more complex than he could have imagined !

Nobita can kiss the comfort and familiarity of his bedroom goodbye, and say hello to a the world of fantasy and magic ! He cannot believe his eyes : he got, for the first time of his life, in someone else's shoes, using the body of another living being...for real !

That other being, a young magician boy why a similar age than Nobita's, wearing a medieval-styled clothing and a small satchel slung over his shoulder, is running following a trail in the middle of a beautiful and enchanting forest, shinning with sumptuous colors, twinkling with life and filled up with the sweets and lively sounds of gigantic multicolor birds flying back and forth, and many more fantastic creatures roaming around the jumping and moving magic roots. The forest is overhung by stunning high quirky flowers trees and azure-blue sky in addition to tree red, orange and yellow-colored suns, a peculiar mix of daylight an twilight at the same moment...

The boy is running relentlessly, walking over a glistening river shining like a billion diamonds, and obviously alive seems a face-shaped water fountain springs out of the stream and yells after the boy for his rude impolite action, as his boots covered with mud soiled its pure water. Nobita, as a reflex, intends to apologize...what the boy actually does ! Nobita now knows that he can influence his spirit and even taking over control of his body, especially when he feels tired, his lungs burning, his heart beating fast and cramps weighing down his legs...

The forest's colors change regularly, some fairies are observing the boy on his journey, sitting on mushroom-like dwarf houses. Some small translucent creepers with a voluptuous texture try to calmly hold him back, but the boy is ready to plow into them, but Nobita makes him stop before he rip up the fragile plants.

And while the boy is catching his breath, Nobita feels a strange sensation : much information, in large quantities, is getting printed in his memory, just like he could have access to the young wizard's knowledges, skills and memories. He learns that he's into the skins of a son of a farmer family, which run away from home, where he was kept and rudely educated by his tyrannical alcoholic uncle, in order to find his parents which were snatched by a demon and locked down deep in the heat of Hell.

And since Nobita is an expert in coming at the wrong time, the boy is about to engage in a fight with a ''Mastadon'', a huge creature, supposedly malefic, guarding the forest and watching over its inhabitants. It's an unavoidable step to pursue his quest through the forest and reach the next step of his journey.

And there he comes, emerging from the bowels of the Earth, a kind of giant bear made of sand, dust, soil, bark, leaves and surrounded by phosphorescent insects. He grunts out a savage roar, blowing a great air mass toward the boy, in a dreadful racket.

As he can possess the body, Nobita doesn't really understand what's happening to him and wishes someone could wake him up, but he's got no time to think it over, and face the rock and wood beast in a magic spells fight with his magic wand and various powers. All around him, the creatures from the forest gather on the trees' branches to watch the scene, booing the boy, viewing him with a scornful look, and blocking his way out of the battlefield, preventing him from escaping...

Nobita is forced to confront the Colossus. The odds are against him and time is running out. He's got a decision to make : either using the dark magic, more powerful and destructive spells, or the light, good magic. He chooses the second one, which seems to spread confusion among the witnesses and the audience...And against all expectations, he successfully defeats him, after many exchanges of fireballs, super punching, various sorcery, incantations from his book of magic spells and many other curses and hexes, thanks to the know-how he acquired when he entered the boy's mind...and the great courage, self-control and experience he gained during his own trek against the terrorists.

But at the end of the fight, while every little creature is bawling and shouting in fright and awe, the forest resonating with their despair screams, Nobita comes to face another choice :

He can finish his adversary off and absorb his vital force, taking his powers and gaining control of the forest and use his inhabitants as slaves...causing the forest's permanent destruction. Or else, he can gently ask his defeated enemy the good way and have mercy on him by sparing his life.

Once again, Nobita chooses the second option and makes use of his magic book to call upon the spirit of heath and invoke him to cure him and restore his energy and force. Nobita looks around him and casts several spells, still using what he learned from the boy's knowledges, repair all the damages and treat the wounds caused to the holy forest during the fight.

He notices that the creatures have changed their minds about him, receiving praise and acclaim for this manifestly unforeseen and unusual from that boy...

Nobita is about to talk to a now very grateful pacific Mastadon when he feels another awful headache...The same nonsensical phenomenon happens again, even faster that before, and reject Nobita into his real world...

He ''wakes up'' in the cold darkness and the suffocating dampness of the storeroom he took shelter in, violently shaking and troubling his senses, as he got used to the great brightness and the soft warmth of the magic world...

He gets up and takes a look at the weapon he held in his hands before starting to daydream. The current hour : it changed...of half a second !

It's the second time that he's seized with such an unease, with so many events occurring within such a short period of time...He doesn't know what's responsible for this, nor why he found himself playing the hero in a magic world : Is he mad ? Dead ? Still manipulated by the terrorists...or just dreaming mixture of undisclosed dream and absurd cynical nightmare ? […]

He really wonders, more and more, if he's not slowly sinking into madness. Or maybe he's a bit too dreamy ! He, however, thinks intensely about the first part of his hallucination, the only common one between his two daydreams. The recurring presence of Doraemon, along with his best wishes in life, those of a sweet and happy life that he'll never have, tickles his inquisitive mind. But he still feels doubtful :

That daydream wasn't natural, realistic and even less possible...Just like everything that has been happening to him, and accomplished by him during the last days. So he can have the luxury of questioning himself. Is he really bad, hopeless, useless, dim-witted, rubbish and ridiculous...to the point of dying ? Or is he discovering another personality, another stronger and happier Nobita ? Does everyone really hate him ? Or is that the result of a huge misunderstanding ?

Nevertheless, he still remembers his pitiful conditions and how he felt after that horrible day of scolding and failing, whereupon he decided to give everything up and return his own miserable life to the Almighty Good Lord. And it hurts him deeply to know that these daydreams could have be reality if he weren't that an unlucky loser...

He can't forget all his mistakes, and it's getting harder for him to remember the few moments of happiness and respite he enjoyed in his life, just like if he were slowly erasing himself and fading to an a dishonoring darkness and total unhappiness, achieving to destroy him. He wants to cry again...and breaks down in tears, falling down on the ground as his grief comes out, randomly pointing his gun in every direction in cause his sobbing would have attracted someone's attention...

He tries to get a grip on himself and feels consoled just thinking about his family, just the fact that once he save them and pass away, they will live in joy without him makes him feel better. And who knows, maybe the magic world where he found himself cast into is a foretaste of what's waiting for him after death, another life to do good, just like now, a new life to make amends...Maybe it was to show him his best aspect, and it gives him hope to pursue his quest for redemption !

Nobita quickly immerses himself in his task again to forget this experience which's nature and origin remains unknown to him. While searching here and there, he finds a sniper rifle equipped with a muffler. As he thinks over, the weapon's shape reminds him of the strange tube-shaped devices with a pointy end, placed circularly, in addition to cryogenic tubes and holographic screens, around a really immense cylindric transparent plexiglass-made canal, reinforced by a metallic translucent armature.

Inside the structure was circulating a vast mass of energy, in the form of shinning lightnings, and in the middle, another smaller and thinner tube, covering with a steel shell, various buttons, command consoles, diesel engines, screens showing diagrams and arithmetic operations, connected with high-tension cables and electrically heated hoses to the whole factory, supplying energy and many more dangerous, but essential elements.

There's no doubt about it : it was the central generator, or at least a super-computer programmed to control a lot of other systems. It looked impressive, hard to reach...but quite instable and breakable too ! Nobita would definitely not have anything to lose if he tried to cause some damages to it !

And now, another memory comes back to him :

During a brief moment of lucidity when under the influence of the gas, and before being intercepted but the robots' chief, he noted several human terrorists working there, wearing anti-radiation protection outfits probably keeping them safe from the gas...and one of that was a short dwarf, surely by birth, which would certainly be seized for Nobita !

And since his armor's gas filter failed him before, Nobita could use that man's suit which, if not really elegant, would allow him to make his way to the generation without running the risk of losing his head and turn into a schizophrenic madman :

Nobita : ''I know one who shall soon be given a dressing-down for 'losing' his suit !'

Furthermore, Nobita's brain is churning out new meaningful ideas and bubbling up with solutions to his other problem : how will he get to it ? He grabs the sniper rifle and allows himself to be guided by his armor's GPS to reach a good observing point, in this case a footbridge overlooking the generator from a closer point, from where he'll be able to fulfill his plan :

He analyses the place, regularly turning on his invisibility system when his armor's IA warns him of upcoming patrolling drones. He locates the humans, all working near a denitrification station,. He hears a siren resounding and sees all the working humans, freed up from their tasks, jettisoning their suits while screaming in joy, before dashing off hurriedly. It's obviously time for a break, and since they left their equipment directly in the area, the gas flow in the area was temporarily stopped ; it couldn't have been a better fit !

But the robots are not like Doraemon ; they have nothing human in them, feel nothing, don't need to feed, rest or even to change ideas, and have no reason to skip working. Only their chief, a despot far more evolved and humanoid, follow the humans with a bottle of cherry liqueur...

Nobita takes aim at a flush ceiling lamp situated as far from the generator as he the rifle's scope allows him to, at the far end of his vision field. There are many smoke, interferences and air moving fast because of the machines, but Nobita successfully demonstrated once again that his marksman skills are still quite reliable, by doing it right at the first time. The broken lamp falls down on the floor, drawing attention from the robots, but nobody knows that it's the result of a mute shoot thanks to the muffler.

Not losing a single second, Nobita pulls the ''Gravity Paint'' out of his pocket, pour some paint over the footbridge's edge, from where the paint fall, sliding and flowing down the descending wall below, under the footbridge. The part soaked with paint becomes the floor and he can walk on it and go down vertically, but as if he were walking horizontally and normally. And since he's supposed to be a robot, nobody finds it strange or suspicious to see him climbing down like this...But it's not a problem, since everyone is focused on the broken lamp !

Even though he had to bear the crushing weight of his armor, narrowly falling down despite the gravity paint. But he makes it down the wall efficiently, with a surprisingly impressive agility, probably because he's getting used to these acrobatics as well :

Nobita : ''I guess I was a tightrope walker in a previous life ; I guess it's what Spider-man is living everyday...But this armor weights a ton ! Those robots should start a dieting !''

Barely after reaching the floor, he hastens to grab the ''Dwarf soldier'' suit. He slips it on, keeping his armor underneath. The suit is also a cognitive recognition working technology, controlled by the will of mind, and with a great flexibility. When Nobita pulls it on, it automatically whips itself all around his body. He's then able to slip into the crowd of doubtless robots.

Once his protection helmet on, a tactical overview and an HUD appear in his eyes, showing a radar, an aim reticle, a motion detector, a matter and substance analyzer, an infrared captor showing the different sources of energy around, and a robot/human differentiation devise...Even a nocturne vision is incorporated ; a real technology jewel !

Nobita (thinking) : ''I have the feeling man's greatest skill is to create the most wonderful and outstanding things in the world...only to destroy himself ! Somehow, he's not that different from me...Well, almost, since I'm even able of creating something good ! […] But damn, what a technology ! Entering a video game...must quite look like that ! I'm bound to reach my goal with such an equipment...well if I don't fail like I used to !''

As he can now look through the walls and objects, Nobita sees hundreds of small red stains, as a sign of the presence of many potentially dangerous enemies in the sector. There are so much that the screens and scanners from Nobita's suit are almost in overload.

There's only one fly in the ointment however : his armor was deactivated when he slipped the suit on, replacing it and taking control...and the suit doesn't have any odor neutralizer, which is quite upsetting when you move in an environment filled with waste air, carbon dioxide and monoxide emissions, sulfur and many other polluting and radioactive ejecta, with a foul-smelling acid smell :

Nobita : ''There's nothing better than a wonderfully delicious rot musty smell when you're working hard ! Geez, it's more deadly than the gas, the heat and the old rust-banger heaps brought together ! Yurk!''

Hidden among his ''fellow robots'', Nobita approaches the generator ; Nobody really knows or suspects anything. But he comes closer, his suit's detectors ring the alarm : in his robotic vision, a virtual and numerical modeling of the generator is established, and Nobita realizes the latter is protected by mobile invisible lasers and anti-robot mines. Only men are allowed in the restricted area...only on the Lord's orders, himself !

Nobita (examining carefully) : ''What the hell is this madness ? The deeper I go, the worst this place sucks ! I've never such a amount of security addicts ! Let's see...I could use the '_Anywhere Cannon_' to be launched over the top of the generator and avoid the lasers...But they're not that stupid, if they see me flying and dive to the generator like a bird, they shall suspect something ; there are limits to a robot's behavior after all ! They will think I'm malfunctioning, it will blow my cover ; I need to be discreet ! And I'll have some trouble when I want to get down ! […] No, I need to find something else...''

An absurd idea comes to his mind, and he points his finger at his C4 pack without too much confidence in what he's doing :

Nobita (pronouncing a magic spell) : ''Chin Ka Ra Hoi ! C4, move ! Chin k...Oh, I'm such a fool ! How can I expect those ridiculous magic spells I learned from that strange illusion to actually work in my world ? I'm getting really tired, I better come back to my senses !''

Fortunately, Nobita's new suit is equipped with an object analyzer, thanks to which he can identify each gadget stored in his Mini-Dora pocket, and he finds a teleporter, not powerful enough to transport himself, but enough for what he wants to do :

He dematerializes then rematerializes his C4 charges, directly sticking them over the generator, behind the lasers without problems...

His task now fully accomplished, and after watching around him if nobody detected his presence for a last time. And before the dwarf soldier comes back and notices the disappearance of his equipment, Nobita has already pulled off the suit, put it back where it was and sneaked off, far away from this place he swears he'll never come back to […].

As he previously delved in the suit and found a magnetic card, a kind of pass to circulate freely in the sector, he's able to penetrate in a pressurized airlock, finds some ammo for his gun in the lockers and compartments, then leaves it and follow his path to find the good direction to take to the terrorists' HQ, where he'll finally settle his accounts with them, avenge himself, let off steam and definitely ensure that they won't cause any harm again, eliminating the nuclear thread still posed to the world.

Of course, he knows, more than anyone, that his chances are extremely small, as he feels tiredness, dependency and weariness increasingly besetting him, his wounded body getting weaker and his vital energy vanishing away little by little. He's so eager to finish his job and to be allowed to go, still overwhelmed by regrets, eaten away by sadness, his heart broken to see his life ending such a bad way and everything that he could have done and achieved in his life that he'll leave forever undone.

His relatives, his loved ones, their lives threatened and who's destinies may be the same than his, as the atomic holocaust is gradually and ineluctably approaching. The heavy weight of Nobita's responsibilities, as the only one currently able to possibly put an end to this nightmare, looms large and weight on him like he's carrying the whole world. He's got to take upon himself and assume his duty like a man...for the first time in his life !

Not to mention Nobita's apparent increasing madness, made of unstopping nightmares, torments, hallucinations, which Nobita cannot explain, unable to find any sense to it, if it's a sign of hope for him, or only an umpteenth torture inflicted to his sinning soul, the beginning of a slow, painful and violent death ready to eat him alive [...]

For a brief moment, Nobita has to face a new enemy : coldness. Since his passage to the boiler room, the heating system is not working properly and disturbed, causing the whole complex to slowly freshen up. And since he got accustomed to the burning environment and the hellish heat from the factory, Nobita's got the unpleasant feeling that he was teleported in Antarctica :

Nobita (chattering teeth) : ''Before, I was too hot ; Now, I'm too cold ! It's about minus five thousand degrees here ! What a jinx...I guess it will help me keeping a cool head !''

But as he walk in the blue-esque neon ambient light of a narrow curved glass corridor; overlooking what happens to be a sickbay connected with a computer core room by lateral turbo-elevators, Nobita notices a warning signal going on and off in an electronic signboard :

_Cryogenic Chamber – Refrigerated Liquid Nitrogen Reserve. No Entry, important risks of sudden cooling – Danger !_'. He now understands why the surroundings are so cold and dry !

What's left of his life, his thought and hope to save the ones he loves and care for are his only moral support, along with the chance to be forgiven for his own mistakes that, according to him, he was given in this ultimate journey made of hardships and revelation about himself. And so far, it's been his vital force, the main source of his strength and courage to go on and pursue his destiny, that will ultimately bring him to claim that he can be someone great, or simply...someone good.

But for now, he doesn't think anyone will be there to hear this claim. For him, Nobita is already dead and the only thing he has to feel concerned about his the other, his beloved relatives just like everyone on Earth. Nobita doesn't need help, the other does. For him, the best thing left to do is simply doing what he has to do and the most important, remaining lonely to the end. So far, he's been achieving considerable success while staying on his own. [...]

It's now time for the forever alone boy to find a way to have a nice talk with the terrorists leader, his persecutors, his enemies, and make them pay for their crimes, the ones they perpetrated, the ones they commit...and the one they will commit, but won't thanks to Nobita's intervention, if he succeeds. Determined to prevent the upcoming genocide, Nobita is motivated again and he remembers the map he stole before even reaching the boiler room and the prisoners locked up there, which is now inside his pocket.

But after seeing it, he realizes that he made a mistake and took the wrong way. He could go back, but he decides to go ahead instead, thinking he'll manage to find and follow a shortcut to make for the lost time, but as he's making headway, he enters a large hall, looking like a mix of an ultra-modern laboratories and a futuristic-designed working offices. He hides behind a plastic-made desk rooted to the floor, but when several soldiers in uniform coming from a reunion or a briefing, are going his way, following a kind of holographic captain, probably their leader using telematerialization of himself to command his squadron directly from his own office. Nobita has to change and quickly find another shelter. He looks down and notices a metal grating under his feet, and make use of the soldering iron incorporated to his armor and cut the padlock, creeps in the small sawpit-like tank under it and close the gate above him silently, but still wondering where he found the strength to raise such a heavy mass that easily...

The soldiers pass along and leave the room, with only two discussing guards left and a few scientists going back to work.

A man, wearing a mechanical suit with a blue overall and a torch helmet, visibly repairing the electric system to open a control box, near a closet containing phials, flasks and various harebrained nano and biotechnologies , and surrounded by many metal crates filled with other high-tech gadgets. The other soldiers are keeping guards near the conference zone, some benches forming a close circle around a terminal creating a strange blazing cross-like color-changing hologram...

Nobita spies and discreetly listens to their conversation from his hiding place :

Guard 1 : ''We're lucky that we're not on guard at the factory ; I've heard there's no peace there and really getting heated ! But on the other hand, it's already hot like Hell there ! If I could, I'd definitely consider asking for a pay increase !''

Guard 2 (worried) : ''You shouldn't be envisaging it, our Lord would take it like an outraging affront ! No, I'm more afraid about that kid ! Apparently, he stole a prototype of experimental protection working suit from one of us and is hidden among the workers there ! It's so spooky ! I envisage ''

Nobita (whispering to himself) : ''So, they still think I'm hiding in that factory...It works even better than I expected !''

Without saying more about this strange expression, suggesting Nobita could be linked, even involved in the malfunctioning of the security system and the complex's communication network ...

Guard 1 : ''As long as he cannot reach our Lord...''

Guard 2 (shivering) : ''After all he did, I can expect anything !''

Guard 1 (mocking) : ''Don't ya worry, you gutless chicken ! That pretentious kid is still alive and creating havoc thinking he's invisible only because our Lord wants it ! And we don't question him, he's a God ! And when he wishes him out of the his way, you can be sure that he'll disappear instantly...and forever ! Our beloved Lord Is comfortably entrenched in his Headquarters, circled and overprotected by an excessively powerful impenetrable magnetic field. If that troublemaker attempts to set his feet in that zone, he will be instantly pulverized ! And unless he can burst over here now, defeat us, hack those control consoles and deactivate all three generators by remote control to escape the reconnoitering tracker against all undesirable intrusions, he will never be able to...''

Nobita (bursting out) : ''Who asked for me ?''

Overcome with a sudden fear and caught flat-footed, the panic-stricken guards draw their guns but Nobita uses ''The Magnet'', a gadget that he previously pulled out of his pocket to snatch all the metal-made objects from their grasp, in other words their weapons, equipments and tools hung on their belts.

Nobita : ''That's all for me ? Oh no, you didn't have to ! […] C'mon, hands up ! And don't even try to play heroes, or watch out !

Guard 1 (turning over and putting his head on his head) : ''You've got a real nerve saying that, you who's been acting like this for hours and pretending to be Superman and God reunited !''

Nobita : ''I wasn't given the choice, but we don't care : I got your weapons, guys, so I'm the who give orders, now ! Oh, what that ? [...He grabs a prototype weapon on a table...] Hmm...Pul..Pulse Rifle, that's it ? Oh my, you really make anything in the future !''

Guard 1 (contemptuous) : ''If you had a bit general culture and curiosity, you'd know that this kind of non-lethal *yurk* weapons are among the most popular and common ones in our time ! Even your friends the cops use them ! Oh, such a crappy generation ! People from this time are really ignorant and stupid ; they're only intruders, good at trying to steal our technologies and abuse our time machine when we visit them ! Tss...''

Nobita (angry) : ''First, I AM the most curious of you, or else I'd not have wandered in that wonderfully ugly complex over and over again !And if you had had just the good idea of getting some information about your enemy, you'd know that I'm first THIS time, not yours ! How can I know about what happens in your time, you bastard ? I'm not soothsayer ! Oh, such a crappy generation ! I guess we didn't educate our children properly when I see what you've become...or many losers like me had kids !''

Guard 1 : ''What...are you talking about ?''

Nobita : ''Nothing, mind your own business ! So, where di...''

But he stops himself from talking when he sees the guard blinking to a third accomplice guard coming in his back with a knife, ready to traitorously stab him...But Nobita turns over at full speed and use the pulse rifle to shoot a pounding energy ball sending him flying and knocking against a wall.

He turns over again, griming at the first, really frustrated guard :

Nobita : ''So, that's how it works...Not bad at all, if only all the weapons in the world were like this !'', he says contemplating the arm which's energy level indicator is turning to deep red.

Guard 1 (reproaching) : ''Stop it, you give me nightmares ! And that weapon was just a prototype, and it wasn't ready for final use ! You wrecked it !''

Nobita : ''Keep bothering me like that, and I will wreck your bonehead as well !''

Guard 1 : ''Look up, you smart-ass : there are cameras and danger sensors everywhere ! They've probably already probed you ! Within a few minutes, all our Lord's personal protection guards will be coming down to do the weeding, and they'll kill the lil freak you are just even before you have the time to turn up at our Lord's HQ !''

Nobita takes aim at the camera with the pulse rifle, but as it doesn't work, he throws it with all his strength and sends it hitting the camera, smashing it up.

Nobita : ''You said ? They would all come just for me ? How kind ! […] They would really all join the party, leaving there...'Lord' on his own, defenseless ? Very bad idea ! And thanks to you, I'll turn off this protection shield, no matter how resistant it is, and come to give a hard clout, in his...'HQ' like you said !''

Guard 1 (despising) : ''Go to Hell !''

Nobita (unconcerned) : ''There's no need to : we're already in Hell, in here !''

Guard 1 : ''Sort it out yourself, you numskull ! You can kill us, we won't talk ! And even if we would cooperate, we would need lots of time to turn down all the security...And it's not a ten-year old boy who will be able to do it and astound me !''

Guard 2 : ''Err, I don't want him to kill me !''

Guard 1 : ''Shut the **** hell, you coward ! Our Lord will torture you for your betrayal !''

Nobita (waving his hands in annoyance) : ''Ensleepment spell, got to bed and sleep well !'', he suddenly yells not shifting his gaze from him...

Guard 1 (laughing) : ''Hahahaha, that's a classic one ! Now you play a silly sorcerer ? You...you...Aww, I feel sleepy...I...'', he collapses on the floor, unconscious...

Guard 2 (frightened, bending on his knees) : ''WHAT...THE HELL IS THAT ? HOW DID YOU ? Are you a magician, a wise mage, a powerful wizard ? No, you are the DEVIL ! Take pity on me, I've got two children, a wife, a family, a home, I don't wanna go in Hell ! Please, I confess ! Father, I have sinned against the Holy spirit, I no longer...''

Nobita : ''Shut up ! I don't even know how I did this ! I...I learned that from...from that boy I controlled when I...IS THAT EVER POSSIBLE ? I'm doing magic ! I...Not that I think about it, couldn't I just...''

Guard 2 : ''Have mercy on us ! Please, I beg yo...''

Nobita (upset) : ''I said SHUT UP, for pity's sake ! Damn, all the people here have such a dreary mind ! [...] And for your family, just make sure to have them leaving Tokyo soon ! Or else, they will REALLY burn in Hell !''

Nobita turns aside, focusing on his goal and gazes upon the main control panel. But as he touches it, he pushes his fingers through in-between the keyboard's keys, just like digging in to reach the electronic components. He then rushes through a strange unexplainable series of gesture while remembering a psychic manipulation formula, before doing an invocation, reciting it to himself in his head, to his own incomprehension :

A huge uncontrollable force, an phenomenon energy flux now possesses him. Nobita's injuring and dirt covering his clothing are washed away and his everlasting overwhelming hunger, thirst and tire just disappear in the blink of an eye. The machines around overheat, interferences scrambles the screens and a racketing thud grows stronger, before fainting abruptly as the computers are shut down and the few fire caused by the superheat are extinguished by a fierce wind snap blown by Nobita's breathing...

Nobita has just definitely blown up the generators only with the power of his thinking ! Nothing can keep him from going forward, head to the core of the hive and terminate his task once for all. But he stands still : How was all of this ever possible, especially from him ? And why didn't the guards supposed to secure the place in case their chief would be endangered come yet ?...

The events are running totally out of his depth, and exceeding his expectations. He wishes he had someone on his side nice enough to give him a plausible explanation about what's happening to him. He presses a random button, still guided by his mysterious power, and retracts a mobile shutter which covered a vast window overlooking a corridor strangely looking like the inside of an Alien spaceship.

Boosted by an unknown-to-him force, and for now freed from his primary needs, like his power food him back to a robust iron constitution and a healthy glow like he never felt before, bursting with strength and blooming with youth, Nobita stretches his arms out. It thrusts a huge pressuring mass of air, causing a deflagrating blast smashing the reinforced window to smithereens.

He then walks forward, repulsing with the same intensity all the guards and robots trying to stop him in any way. He blocks the bullets, lasers and rockets fired and launched at him, just like he can suspend time, and thrusts them back to the turrets. He has become briefly unkillable and nothing stands in his way.

The remaining survivors give up the fight and flee using the escape conduits and ducts. But when he reaches the other side of the corridor, he finds nothing at all. He could be looking over the place for ages, there's nothing but emptiness. He's got to face the truth : he has ended up in a dead-end !

Nobita hears a guard getting back up behind him and ready to shoot him in the back. He turns over and assaults him, but the energy blast in barely powerful enough to make him slightly step backward. Fortunately, he still got his peerless marksman reflexes and draws his gun at lightning's speed and defeat his opponent by shooting in his leg.

Nobita feels the energy deep inside growing weaker and progressively fading away. The spell's effect has already reached its climax and limits, leaving him just enough power to briefly read in his enemy's thoughts, looking for some clarifications and solutions to his problem. And he discovers that the terrorist thought the same thing than himself : that the HQ were where he's standing right now.

He thinks again about this noxious unhealthy game that the terrorists' Lord played with him, his unsound mind taking a macabre pleasure in tricking him and having fun inventing new poisonous hardships and placing more and more obstacles on Nobita's way to slow him down, toy with his life, test his resistance and enjoying his suffering and emotional reaction like a vulgar gladiator in an arena or a celebrity on a reality show...Just for the pure enjoyment of doing harm !

And it seems like even his own men aren't aware of it. Since he's the main subject of that awful game, Nobita senses that the leader purposely kept his own man in the dark and ignoring everything, to trick Nobita into believing in fake information in case he would capture one of them, and keep him away from the real HQ. It could be anywhere and isn't indicated on the map that Nobita previously collected, nor in the GPS of his armor...

Nobita : ''I've never seen such a man that cowardly bastard !''

Nobita is unable to call on another spell, among the numerous ones he's got in his head and memorized during his excursion in the magic world. He feels vulnerable and tired, like he's suffering to keep a craving satisfied, in withdrawal after taking heavy drugs...But once this dreadful sensation, harsh but brief gone, he regains his feeling of being back to a fresh new start, very fit and bursting with determination.

But the guard that he didn't ''send to sleep'' in the generators control room, though his fearful superstitious mind, probably went to alert his pals. And if they're not as cowardly as their leader, Nobita must wait and get ready to see many more reinforcements besieging the area.

He better be quick about leaving now...

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	13. Painful Memories

**Chapter 13 : Painful Memories**

It's been a long time now, and Nobita is still looking for his prisoner, that he left several hours ago and must be starving. It's another loss of time for him, but he would feel quite ill-at-ease and even guilty to let a man, though an enemy serving a vile cause, slowly die of hunger and loneliness, just the way he initially intended to finish himself, in addition to ending on a bad note with no one to remember him...

Wandering over and over again, Nobita passes near a small steel-made door dovetailed in a semi-glazed wooden partition, opens it and finds himself inside a tiny working room, a kind of former secretariat judging by the amount of office furniture, formerly used as an administration and office automation workstation. Upon one of the office swivel chairs, there is a thin cereal bar still wrapped up. Nobita's no more starving or having his stomach forever crying hungry thanks to his new powers ; he could relinquish it and focus on something more important, but he cannot resist his irresistible need to have a brief good time to ease his tire and dull his pain. He wants to eat that delicious-looking snack by pure relish, as a rest in the middle of that everlasting ludicrous adventure...

He verifies, thanks to his armor's detectors, that it isn't poisoned or another nasty trick, and devours it greedily in one go...It tastes like a hundred-year-old foodstuff, but he doesn't realizes it immediately, as he turns his head and gazes at a drink distributor, hoping he could hack it with his armor's functionalities or break its protection window, his eyes meet a small white scuffed office waste paper basket in a corner. A memory is brutally brought back to his mind :

**[...3 Months ago...]**

''It's already late, on this celebration evening. Nobita, just like Gian and Shizuka, was invited to a great party, a kind of high-class banquet and VIP get-together, in a luxurious resplendent abode, a huge magnificent room filled with beautiful patterns, glorious decorations and mural painting, multicolor stained glass and solid gold and crystal-made ceiling chandeliers, various moldings and ubiquitous gilding, tapestry and fresco with undeniable charm and obvious beauty...

Surrounded by many undertaking personalities, business elites and other wealthy company managers dressed in fashion jacket-and-tie and cheap gentleman suits, gazing at the vast rattan table covered with plentiful abundant food and elegant table mats. Immersed in that dream atmosphere, Nobita and his friends are attending a great ceremony celebrating the success of Suneo's father, at the height of this same, an all-glorious tribute to the prosperity of his company...

Nobita is so astounded that the day after, he asks then begs Doraemon to let him become a company president, which Doraemon first refuses but finally reluctantly accepts after hours of bugging from Nobita. He gives him a ''Make-believe Company Set", which allows Nobita to rule his own corporation, having many tiny puppets as his employees and working according to his orders...

That confrontation with the harsh and merciless world of economy and business, along with his inexperience from the field turns Nobita into a rude heartless high-handed boss and a very bad manager, 'causing his employees to go on strike and revolt against him...

And since his company's role was to do all his classmate's homework using content and knowledges stolen from Hidetoshi's own homework, along with many other degrading tasks left undone, everyone is infuriated by his incapacity to keep his promises and his inability to give them back their homework done in time, unleashing their wrath on him...before a severe reprimand from Sensei, who let off steam on him in front of a crowd of schoolmates raging mad at him...

Nobita is severely scolded by everyone : Sensei, who blames him as responsible for almost's everyone's bad grades in the class before chucking him out of class ; his mother, covered in shame by her rascal son's bad deeds ; Doraemon, who hold it against Nobita and blames himself for letting this ''irresponsible'' kid doing such a foolish thing with his own gadgets...

Nobita is deprived from lunch and grounded at home for the rest of the day, locked up in his room to work hard on his homework, tripled by Sensei as an extra-punishment...

Nobita cries out loud, riddled with guilt about his faults and mistakes, his eternal selfish nature, lamenting about all the other's overwhelmingly negative view they have of him. This constant bad outlook about him and the never-ending vicious circle causing everything Nobita tries to go undertake to backfire at him...And it's just too much !

He grabs his Bamboo Copter and flies away to a near forest, where he settle for a moment...In the dark, coldness of the night and hungry like a wolf, he hides in shame in a street dust bin in the middle of a baleful public waste heap. It happens to be the place where he once met ''Kibō'', a very smart plant that became alive thanks to one of Doraemon's gadgets, and who helped him when the Earth was attacked by the ''Planet Of Green", a fight led by Nobita and his friends, whereupon he'll successfully defeat the aliens and save his own world...once again.

But now, what's left of this ? Nothing ! Everything was forgotten. If only Nobita's adventure were broadcasted in a giant arena in front of everyone in the world's eyes ; he would receive a standing ovation and become the hero in everyone's heart !

But reality hurts and people are only getting sick of him. Kibō went away to explore outer space, Earth was saved butt only thanks to Doraemon's ''Time Watch'' to suspended time before it was attacked by the Green Planet and the humans wiped out, and nobody else knows about Nobita's extraordinary actions and heroic behavior, his sense of sacrifice and his struggle to save the ones he love...which obviously doesn't love him back much to him !

He thinks about Kibō again...That cute but prodigiously smart plant was far better, nice and vigorous than Nobita, to his Mom's marvel and satisfaction, helping her with her chores and making her so delighted and happy that she would forgive all his few mistakes and consider him like a member of the family, like her long-dreamed perfect son...what Nobita actually wishes he were !

For him, there's no doubt Kibō embodies what Nobita isn't and failed to be, the final version coming to replace the rough draft.

But he went away, probably feeling as fresh as ever just thinking he won't stay with such a failure and become a wise being contrary to Nobita...

He stays there for a long moment...Lonely in the gloom, he hears a helicopter flying over the forest. The light from his searchlight briefly light up the garbage dump. Nobita's got enough light to notice a strange photograph in a small white well-worn office waste paper basket...It's a photo of a baby, that clearly looks like Nobita when he was a baby...And it happens to be him !

Nobita realizes this photo, half-torn and soaked with dog pee, was just thrown away by his parents while he was intensely looking for it, considering it his most beautiful babyhood souvenir...

Nobita bursts into a deep sorrow as he feels abandoned...But he's getting really cold and resolves to go back home, heart-broken by his sadness and distress, walking back home in the streets, as the night is falling on the City. He wanders aimlessly, trying to arrive home as far as can. But all the people in the streets are looking down on him, the blameworthy rascal, the shameful naughty failure boy who was irresponsible enough to cause every kid in his class to get a terrible mark that made their parents so angry that some of them even called Nobita's parents on this intolerable action and seeking for apologies...

Denigrated and given a universal dirty look, shameful and stricken with remorse, he runs back to his house, tripped over in a puddle under all the little kids' amused eyes...once again.

Bringing back the photo with him, he knows what's expecting him at home, and is fully aware that he shall have to slip into unnoticed for a while...once again !''

**[...Back to Present Time. Meanwhile, at the Stock Exchange...]**

This isn't willing to improve at the stock exchange, and the current trend is for the situation to worsen instead. The Police's repeated attempt to discus pacifically failed the ones after the others. The relations seem to grow acrimonious and become aggravated as more and more terrorists, increasingly heavily armed and equipped, are massing near the windows to strictly keep a close eye on the snipers and scoots in position inside the neighboring buildings, both sides probing and taking aim at each other's position, ready to battle at any moment.

On their side, the police forces, almost finished with evacuating the last injured resulting from the terrorist's recent skirmishes and violent exchanges, cordon off the area and receive support from the armed forces. Several combat armed helicopters swirl in the air around the besieged and surrounded building, their flood and searchlights pointed at each window. Hacking experts, infantry soldier corps with heavy destruction weapons, explosive detectors, javelins, missile-launchers...Everything is carried over the place, standing ready, at the best case for some warning shots, or at worst for a general assault on the complex. Special Elite Operation Forces, over-trained, battle-ready and bedecked with electronics equipments, supported by mini-robots and spying drones, in addition to the other infantrymen, are all waiting themselves for more United Nations, NATO and American Marines Corps reinforcements.

The place has become the center of the world, where every look gazes at, along with the observation satellites and the medias. Nothing foretells any possible further upswing or improvement...

Inside the building, though more nervous and impatient, the enemy looks more determined and stronger than ever. Working on mysterious tasks, the one reconfiguring a security system, the other gathering crates with an unknown content using a levitation beam ; Nobody stands around or is soldiering, everyone relentlessly spends all his time doing his tasks like a fanatic work-a-holic, and their dynamism sparks off many more reactions and interrogations among prisoners, arousing curiosity and stirring up fear, far more than their obscure intentions.

As for the hostages, they are still prisoners of their torturers, hovering between their desire to survive and their disgust for the world, their distress, hunger, the harsh coldness owing to the voluntary power cut in the block decided by the police, the fright, the ringing mobiles instantly confiscated by the merciless rude guardians keeping a careful eye on their victims, punishing any '_misbehaving_' or the least signs of rebellion. A total lack of respect, violating human's rights and dignity, a true unredeemed soul nightmare, for the men, women and even children trapped in there, pulling together and avoiding to raise attention as much as they can to have a chance to come through this terrible hardship alive.

Suneo et Gian, famished and deprived of any medical aid or assistance care, are on tenterhooks and can't bear it anymore, ready to blow a fuse. They think about their families, friends who aren't here to give them support, help them or simply sharing their last gloomy instants of life...However, they are quick to notice something unusual :

The terrorists are more and more eroded by an inner conflict, working tensely, distrusting each other, with mutual taste of contempt. There's definitely something sowing discord among them, causing growing tensions and a contrast in their ways to act, behave, handle the situation, their moral judgments and how they are apprehensive of the incoming events. They seem to have different goals, both for now and the aftermath of the attack. They are divided by a hierarchic order :

The red-hooded ones, that Suneo and Gian nickname the ''Baddy Diablos'', small and weak in number, but strong and large in high-tech equipments, prestige among the '_team_', weaponry and power within the group, looking more like tyrannic monarchs lined with an immoderate ego and a beastly spirit.

The black-hooded ones, more numerous but neglected, laboring and drudging with the secondary duties, seem less enthusiastic about their victory, skeptical and rejecting all eventualities of a violent outcome, fearing that the situation might end in a bloody deadlock. The exactions perpetrated on the hostages really seems to affect them, and they tend to interfere and interpose in between their hostages and they '_comrades_', standing up to them, defying their hierarchy and valuing their sense of honor, their '_holy_' duty toward their beloved relatives they want to protect at any cost, and expressing a profound disgust for their superiors, some of them even questioning themselves about the true reasons that pushed them to join their fight and if it's actually of any use to keep it on.

They refuse to open fire on the police, and all is missing now is the permission to open dialog with them, in view of a possible prospect for a peaceful settlement of this conflict...

But their dwindling chances to get out of here alive are regressing slowly, just like for their prisoners...

Suneo wonders many questions, remembering Hanz's attitude toward theù, one of the black-hooded men, who remains tuned in to their needs and safety. The two children hear him shattering the glass of an automatic distributor, and offering its content to the starving hostages...and very nearly avoiding to engage in a fight with one of the Diablos, John, who attempts to block him in his way, but had to give up with several of Hanz's friends started to glare at him, clenching their fists in their tenseness...

But everyone suddenly jolts when Shizuka, asleep near Nobita's Dad, wakes up, yelling like she's been traumatized. John rushes to her armed with an iron bar, infuriated, but Hanz trips him up and then grabs John's hand, clasping his wrist tightly to force him into dropping it. The two men, grip each other, ready to come to blows, but separated just in time before they end up at one other's throat by their respective mates...

Hanz (angry) : ''Try this again and I tear your eyes the fuck off your head, and spit inside of it ! Understood, you bloody bastard ?''

Diablo : ''You'll pay for this affront, you insignificant roach ! Your life will end soon, and even in Hell you'll forever regret your sin !''

Hanz : ''Get lost, bloody bastard ! You're not the commander, here ! And as long as we're standing and breathing, you won't harm a single f****** hair on their heads !''

Diablo (raising his finger) : ''Then enjoy it, 'cause life is unsure ; anything can happen ! [...he hears a pal calling in a fierce voice for help...] You're lucky, I have work to do and your stupid friends are here to roll with the punches instead of you ! I'll put our Lord a word about it, you shall be chastised !'', he laughs sneeringly before leaving...

While Hanz and his fellows, high-strung about their fate but glad that they could humiliate and defeat him in front of the hostage, got back to work, spitting one the floor as a sign of distaste, Suneo tries to calm Shizuka down but holding here tight, still dizzy about her horrible nightmare...

Shizuka (sobbing) : ''It was awful ! I saw Nobita, he was...I was dreaming, sleeping in my bedroom and I dreamed of him..He was jumping out from the top of a hill and I couldn't do anything to help it ! He smashed to the ground, whatever *sob* I would do was just useless ! Everyone around was screaming...and I woke up ! I rushed into Nobita's home...and discovered he was really dead ! I had rejected him just a few hours beforehand, when I *sob*...when we left school, because he was talking too much about his concerns and problems...And when I realized it was serious *sob*, it was TOO LATE ! I couldn't do anything to reason with him and he...DIED ! […]

Oh my, I'm so damn fed up with this crappy nightmare ! I want to see my Mom, my normal life, my...my Nobita !'', she cries out before bursting out sobbing in Suneo's arms in despair and sadness...

All of this is nothing but the sign of her oppressive feeling of powerlessness, that everything is slipping from her mind and escaping control. Paradoxically, her sorrow is so big that her only way to cheer up is to think about Nobita again, but more with their love relationship. She knew, from the very beginning, Nobita's feelings for her and particular affection. She knew he loved and even, somehow, wanted to marry her, though she isn't aware that Nobita went to the future to check who he will be married to...and found her as her wife !

Nothing would please her more than seeing him again. She wishes Nobita would come to the rescue and save her, to see him transformed and mutating to a wonderful super hero, like a young girl dreams of a Prince Charming to rescue the Princess kept captive in a spooky castle. And she doesn't understand why, but deep inside her heart, above a storm cloud of despair and sadness, her hope does not falter...And for her, she's either dead or about to be saved by her Hero...

She doesn't know just how right she is !

Suneo has to do anything to succumb to distress, and take it on the chin. Even Gian, yet so resistant usually, but rarely showing any sign of real concern, not that soulful, sensitive or responsive to heart-breaking news or events in appearance, here looks so degraded and devastated like an over-sensitive touchy mind who's just lost his most precious good in life...

Meanwhile, Nobita's Dad and Mom are talking between each other, staring at the poor-looking Baby in his mother's arms among the other hostages and thinking about their own one, that they gave birth to ten years ago. Mom discreetly pulls what happens to be a sheet of paper, but is in fact an old photograph...of Nobita, when he was about six and entered in Elementary school for the first time, dating back from the celebration. He looked so happy, youthful and pretty cute, innocent like a baby and a true bundle of energy.

And what has he become now ? A depressed, neglectful per-teenager who consider suicide as the only bearable solution to find a minimum semblance of peace and happiness, and rejects his own life. How could he stoop that low ? How could they let him slowly die, his inner light going off and his feeling leading him to consider himself a complete disaster ?

How they wish they could embrace him in a warming clasp and erase all his grief, along with their own and start over again !

Mom lets a tear stream down her face and falling like a raindrop on her photograph, maybe the last time she'll see him again in a physical form, whether she survives or not. She asks her husband if he's still got some hope, but being hopeful in that kind of predicament is less than worth considering.

Dad (crying) : ''Nobi, Nobi Nobita ! Wherever you are, I wish you good luck and...hope that you'll survive ! If something bad happens to us, be strong ! And please, I beg you : do not harm yourself ! My lovable cutie, you're worth so much better than self-neglect, hatred and seeing your life in doom and gloom! Please, if you can hear me, Dad supports you !''

Mom (Afflicted) : ''Nobita...I love you ! Don't leave us ! I remember when you were a baby, a cute little angel coming to life and smiling at the new life he was given the opportunity to fully enjoy...and live ! I had a photo that caught magic moment, but I lost it a long time ago ; I don't know where it is now...But I didn't forget what it showed, that little dear sweetheart is what I saw everytime I saw you...My love, don't lose faith ! I know you feel like we hate you, but...I just want you to know...If I could, I would blow myself up with a nuclear bomb to save you !''

If only she knew...

**[...Meanwhile, in the complex...]**

First whining, then weeping out loud and seized with a grisly rage following this revived bad memory from his past, the perfect embodiment of his dying ruined life and a brutal return to reality, he spits the tasteless cereal bar out of his mouth and violently gives a strong kick to the table next to him, projecting it to bang into the distributor, which's glass-made side is smashed to pieces. The desk phone which was on the table, thrown on the ground but still functional, rings out and a heavy voice is heard, asking what's going on...

Traumatized and not really willing to answer, Nobita lets his grief come out in the form of an intense anger and crushes the phone forcefully with his foot...The men on the phone can identify the voice of a child and immediately alerts his teammates, and less than 5 minutes later, 3 men turn up and storm in the place, encircling Nobita before pouncing on him grumbling...

But Nobita is really red with anger and his exceptionally violent atrocious rage makes him a ferocious untamed savage beast. He punches one of the terrorists when he approaches him, knocking him down straight away. The second man tries to give the final knock-out blow with his knife, while the third one is attempting to halt and immobilize him, but Nobita defends himself well. In an unexpected counter-attack, he hardly nudges the second man with his elbow in his stomach, curls up and stretches out on the floor while gripping the man's bulletproof hydraulic flak jacket, and pull him above him. The terrorist is sent flying and hits the second man before his can throw his knife at him.

The latter gets up and attempts to attack Nobita again, but in a last effort, kicks him again, breaking his knee and successfully making him fall on the ground, and finally finishes him off with with a wild and sharp nudge right in the face, dislocating his jaws. The third man, thinking he's fighting a malevolent force or a new prototype of invincible combat hologram, surprised by the boy's liveliness, gives up the fight and runs off in fright...

Standing still for a while, Nobita then summons up his strengths and decides to leave as well, after turning the injured terrorist over on his stomach to avoid him to choke on his own blood, spurting inside his throat resulting from his wounds caused to his lungs by Nobita's nudge in his belly and abdomen. In order to let him breath, he slightly opens the suffocating man's mouth, who's desperately gasping for air.

He also activates his first-aid recovery suit and his automatic self-spotting emitter, so that the terrorists' emergency teams, if there're ones, can look after him rescue him from agonizing to death.

Despite his satisfaction to (re)discover that he can be a not very noble and brave enough man to deserve to gain back his old life, but at least helpful and merciful, in addition to his feeling of his all-omnipotence and self-sufficiency after defeating so much stronger adversaries, Nobita is paralyzed by his anger and bittering resentment. Lowering his head, dispirited and his moral hitting rock-bottom like never, he's got a hankering for screaming out loud, to empty his gun and smashing everything around him, turning all upside down with the sole objective to let off steam.

His hands, tensed up, shake like a leaf carried away by a fierce cold autumn wind snap, and his heart beating so fast : he's holding a loaded gun, a deadly one...He would just need to move up his arms, raise his hand, turn his weapon on himself and swiftly tighten his index to pull the trigger...The bullet would terminate the job and everything would be over !

But what about the million innocent people who would then be the inevitable victims of the terrorist's homicidal madness, which is bound to happen without anyone to stop them ? Nobita succeeded where everyone failed, or would have failed : to get infiltrated in the most dangerous place on Earth, braving and overcoming the most insurmountable dangers a human being would ever confront, and most of all, staying alive ! It makes him the only one left still able of overturning the events and tip the scales in his favor.

Fleeing and giving up whereas he's the key to the world's fate would be more than a degrading act of ignoble cowardliness : it would be a nameless crime !

Nobita knows that despite his incredible, obviously lasting luck, he's got almost no hope to see the end, whether of the world or of the terrorist threat...not alive ! But for him, it's just more than delectable to know that he'll leave his life after achieving at least one good deed, enough to forgive his miserable life...and in the end, the world will be rid of him. And this thought fills him with strength !

This contradictory and paradoxical feeling of being sad about himself and happy to die really frightens him, but it's been a few days now that he has become the most courageous man ever, so this inner instability isn't going to scare him anylonger. He totally accepts his destiny and to accomplish to only action that will improve his tarnished image and leave a positive mark in this world, soon not his world anymore […]

Dazed and disquieted by this overwhelmingly wearying amount of events, he forgets his own way and gets lost, unable to rely on his sense of direction. He uses and abuses of his "Crossing Circle'' gadget to make his way through the walls, but nothing helps him feeling less isolated and drop-out. Even his strange new powers, obviously anesthetized in a state of profound lethargy, not to say completely inactive and nonexistent, cannot be of any use. Nobita finds himself facing another airlock :

Nobita (gasping) : ''If I ever meet the god-damned so-called architect who designed and devised that labyrinth complex, I'll kick that lousy sadist's ass until it turns deep purple !'', he exclaims while running in the facility's twists and turns over and over again...Another airlock ? Where on Earth is that one leading ?''

His magnetic card he previously stole from the dwarf soldier isn't valid in that part of the complex, proving useless in that situation. Nobita comes to the conclusion that he's probably out of the factory sector. Upon the control post above the door is a tactile screen along with sensory captors. He touches the button controlling the door's opening, but it only initiates a command prompt, obliging to enter the lines of code required to unlock the entrance.

Nobita is really the worst at math and his intrusion power inside any kind of technological system, that he once used, isn't willing to work this time. Nobita doesn't give it up that easily, thinking Sensei would be so proud of him if he succeeded, but after dozens of minutes spent working hard with all his brain's capacities, he's got to face the truth : he can vainly try it for ages, he cannot make himself better than what he actually is, or else school would never have existed !

Unbelievingly, his multiples attempts at hacking the opening system finally pay off ! He solves the equations, pressed by the sounds of an approaching patrol coming his way...and it happens to be the good code !

Nobita (stupefied) : ''I wasn't totally sure about it so far, but there's no doubt anymore : I REALLY became Superman !

Unfortunately for him, his joy his short-lived : the door remains close, locked by an emergency security protocol, restricting the access to secret or highly important zones, as indicated on the screen. Nobita knows he's got nothing to lose if he decides to penetrate in one of them, where he has more chances to meet with a more valuable target or at least gets closer to his ultimate goal. But he's really urged to find a solution when he barely sees some paroling drones heading his way.

He decides to open the armored door's electrical outlet and randomly tears off several cables and fuses, causing a cutout. A violent supercharged discharge shocks him, but leaves him unscathed with only an inoffensive sensation of tingling. The airlock's entrance is now wide open, as well as the one necessary to get out of the airlock on the other side...

Nobita (bored) : ''When I think I could have done that from the very beginning...I'm really strong at making my life more complicated !''

Nobita goes through the airlock, without realizing that the discharged he absorbed was far beyond the lethal threshold for a man...and even more for a child !

He reaches a laboratory, but this time an underwater installation, judging by the intense bright and bluish light bathing the area, and the huge glass bay windows overlooking an underwater cave, at the end of which the laboratory was built. In the middle of the acoustic chemistry machines, engineering technologies, chillers, the awful smell of dampness, the noise of the steam turbines and centrifuges, the synthetic-made fluorescent algae and seaweeds agglutinated around the lab's watertight bulkheads, the spectrometers and many other burettes and advanced research appliances, Nobita is alarmed of an imminent danger by the grating sound, a rather bad sign, of a reloading pump-action shotgun...

He's got just enough time to take shelter behind a strand pelletizer device before a skin-hugging attire-dressed terrorist, still half-connected to his stasis cistern by power feed cable and covered with a slimy yellowish liquid, fire a series of resounding shots at Nobita's position. Since the 'creature' is devoid of any protection, Nobita's first shot back is enough to kill it. But its body then dissolves itself under his dumbstruck eyes in a sparkling foam cloud vanishing in the air. A strange machine, a kind of suppository-shaped containment booth starts to quake and shudder before opening itself...and the same terrorist, perfectly fine and unscratched, walks out the cabin with a new shotgun !

Nobita shoots him down many times, but there's nothing to do against this eternally resurrecting monster. And when it comes to Nobita's turn to reload his gun, the humanoid sticky mound of artificial flesh pounces on Nobita after kicking him violently against a heaping up of underwater survival equipments slightly cushioning his 'landing'. The creature grasps him, clenching and strengthening his robotic hands around Nobita's neck to strangle him to death. But as he's suffocating, a crafty Nobita grabs a grenade hanging on the creature's belt and throws it into the booth. He picks up his at full speed and fires at the grenade. The ''resurrecting chamber'' is blown to pieces in the resulting explosion and the creature suddenly collapses, lifeless on the floor, as the link to the chamber was cut off.

Nobita (catching his breath and rubbing his throat) : ''Geez, that place...*cough*...is the hell a zombie factory ! I really ended up on God knows what a facility ! What kind of secrets this place hides ? And...Oh crap !''

Nobita gets up back on his feet, wiping the few doughty substances poured on his clothes as the creature's body instantly started to melt when it died, but Nobita brutally panics when he realizes that he's going to have a better and faster way to get all cleaned up again :

An odd nuclear-powered underwater craft, an hybridization of a submarine and a space escape pod, is entering the underwater cave and plumbing the underwater cavity. A guided maintenance mini-robot comes to probing the window's state of solidity to upkeep them in a suitable state, but its infrared heat lamp detects Nobita's presence. The submarine's facial prober identifies Nobita has a major threat and locks on the target. Two missiles are launched, but since they are slowed down but the deep-water pressure, Nobita can run fast enough to rush out of the laboratory and cross the airlock he came by to escape before a gigantic mass of water bursts in from the breakthrough in the glass windows, and swamps and submerges everything behind him instantly.

It devastates and tear off everything on its way, stripping off pieces of rusted metal from the surface of the walls and sweeping along the smallest debris ; a huge breaker ready to crush him like an old can ground by a shredder.

The water surges into the airlock Nobita went through, still open since Nobita broke the command controls, and rushing after him, almost catching him up. Nobita can just slide into another airlock he didn't notice the first time he came and close it behind him. The patrol which was previously looking after him is, in turn, chased by the wave swamping flooding all the corridors. They reach the airlock Nobita locked himself up in, furiously rap then despairingly smack into the door, imploring Nobita to let them in before the raging wave come to flatter and crush them to death.

For his own sake, he cannot do it. As he closes his eyes not to see those unfortunate men drown, he feels a sudden surge of energy, like he's been supplied with adrenaline, livened up by an increasing strength, along with a slight sensation of burn. Without understanding what he's doing, Nobita swiftly pronounces a spell, and creates a force field blocking the water from going further. Exhausted and weakened, Nobita staggers unsteadily to the other side of the airlock, gets out after opening the second door and turns over, shoots at the first door's control unit to let the terrorists come in, closes the second door and runs away as fast as he can.

The terrorists go through the second door and close it behind them like Nobita did before before the force field disappears and let the water floods the airlock. They are now definitely safe...and unable to catch Nobita up, already far away […]

Nobita : ''Damn it to hell ! This is how close it was ! A little more and there would be plenty of human fish food for dinner !''

After minutes of a manic run to reach a safe place, that is to say a third airlock, Nobita takes a break to rest and catch his breath, barely realizing he has just saved his own enemies, condemned to a certain death, and that his power were not gone forever.

He also notices that according to the sensation he feels in his body, just like the burn one, the type of power is different, but each time, it fits with his immediate needs. He's got the definite confirmation that he's the one controlling his powers, strongly acquired and ensured that he can sustain them durably, but only using them in precise and particular situations, which remains unclear...

Though he feels quite disoriented by this new upturn in his progression, he finds a strangely familiar shelter and finally remembers his way when he realizes that he's actually where he previously hid to neutralize the robot supposed to secure the place and protect the technician terrorist, now Nobita's prisoner.

He goes back into the communication relay room where he locked him up, bringing a food parcel and some fresh water he took from a distributor, avoiding him a particularly hard nerve-wrecking long dehydration and starving ordeal.

He doesn't have the strength, neither would he feel the least hint of gratefulness to just say 'thank you', but his first need for now is Nobita to tell him about how he could achieve so much humanly impossible actions without being neither killed or injured. Nobita discovers that his prisoners could see anything, all his actions, movements and motions through the screen, which was quite risky and would prove dangerous if someone had found out the prisoner and set him free, using what they could see in the screens to precisely locate Nobita and neutralize him.

But it didn't happen. Nobita's adventures were the only source of distraction and lighting in the darkness of the terrorist's improvised jail...And he's rather astonished by Nobita's outstanding achievements, but more by fear for his brothers in arm's safety and Nobita's power, than by real enthusiasm, interest or euphoria about Nobita's epic and spectacularly grandiose actions.

Nobita doesn't know anything more about his powers, but he prefers letting his prisoner think he does, subjected by his overwhelming fright and more willing to cooperate...

Terrorist : ''How did you get those powers ?''

Nobita (ironic) : ''Do not expect an interview, Superheroes never show off !''

Terrorist : ''No, that's not true...You're tricking me !''

Nobita : ''Would you accuse these innocent brave screens, a pure jewel of technology, of lying you ? Or maybe your eyes are slowly giving you away ? You saw that, right ? Now, maybe you understand that I'm not joking ! Oh, by the way, I'm glad to meet a terrorist who actually cares for his fellows like you ! It's so surprising and uncommon in that shabby and individualistic place !''

Terrorist : ''You are just so ignorant and far from the truth ! We're not only a team, a fanatic aimless organization like you imagine, we're brothers, we're a family, the Salvation Army, Society's right arm, the Messengers of GOD ! We support each other, it's our duty to ensure the cohesion of our unity ; each one merging with the other into a single one, one entity, one common thing, dedicated to our ideal, our creed, our dream and our goal, the goal of existence : a same destiny, an eternal glory ! We're at community's service and we will serve it right ! […] But the only miserable selfish individual standing in our dream's way, it's YOU ! You're intruding and cutting into our unity, stirring up trouble and violence ! […] You're a parasite in this impure heretic world, and...''

Nobita : ''Here we go again ! I think I prefer when I was on my own with that wave tumbling behind me, it was much more exciting ! Frankly, you all look like a band of naive ignoramus puppets always repeating the same stupid things like an old scratched audio disk player ! Can't you just flip the bloody tape ?''

Terrorist : ''You're insane ! You are strong, definitely stronger than we all anticipated it, but I repeat it to you : you're attacking a much stronger enemy than you'll never be ! Don't expect me to feel sympathy for you, even though you saved some of my friends ; they would definitely prefer losing their lives while doing their duty and serving their Lord rather than being spared by the demon you are !''

Nobita : ''Yet, they begged me for that ! Are you sure about what you believe in ? I'm not asking you to deny it, but just to open your eyes and see by yourself ! I can't let people like you fulfill their dreams by imposing on the sacrifice of millions of people ! You are the ones selfish here !'

Terrorist : ''Such a claim and self-hubris ! Your words are tainted with an overwhelming pride ; it's like you've found a cure for an incurable disease each time you pronounce these blasphemous words !''

Nobita can clearly see his prisoner is awkwardly trying to conceal his fear, when he's having a jitters, but his pale face betrays him and highlight are frightened he is...

Terrorist : ''You...you think the sun shines out of your ass ; he don't seems to dread our wrath, you take us all for...for jerks, don't you ?''

Nobita : ''When someone treats another a jerk, is an insult. But when I treat you a jerk, it's a diagnostic ! And your great stupidity is the only incurable illness here ! How disgusting to see what a man can become...''

Terrorist (panicked) : ''You...you cannot kill me, I will never cooperate !'', he says shaking his head to get rid of the sweat popping up excessively on his chunky face, thinking absolutely the contrary about what he's saying...

Nobita : ''Perish the thought, I wouldn't even dream of it ! Your life is precious to me, everyone's is ! I'm not a murder, like a group of now well-known 'friends' of mine who shall remain nameless, I won't kill you ! I have just a few questions, and the first one is : can I still be detected here ? Do you have some...I don't know, '_age differencers_' or another ludicrous stuff to locate my position ?''

Terrorist : ''There's no risk for you ; the reinforcements called after you blew up the powder storeroom have just arrived ! People out there barely start to realize that you, the trouble-making and panic-seizing kid everyone is talking about, are around here ! I heard their conversation through the communication server ; they're more astray and lost than a sheep in a bushy jungle ! [...] That's incomprehensible and inexplicable ! Nobody seems to understand what the hell is going on, nor how such a mess could occur after so many years of mental conditioning, harsh redying and physical training for all of us to get ready to face any kind of enemy and anticipate the worst predicaments ! You are causing everything to fall into pieces ; WHO THE F****** HELL ARE YOU ?''

Nobita : ''I'm just the pooper element that will cause your downfall !''

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	14. Old Rivalries & Confessions

**Chapter 14 : Old Rivalries & Confessions**

''Congratulations for your great rapidity, very professional !'', yells a soldier with an upset ironic tone, chief and leader of a terrorist elite soldier corps patrolling in the complex.

The latter have just seen the reinforcements arriving in front of them, called in emergency several hours ago after Nobita broke into the industrial sector, in response to his strong attack at the powder storeroom, followed by many gunfights and a series of explosions that rang out, hammered and rocked the whole area, leaving dozens of soldiers dead or injured, heavy damages, major disturbances in the organization of the terrorists, a total paralysis in the communications, a standstill in the factory's level of production, a dreadful feeling of insecurity...and a general humiliation !

But it's only now, many time after, that the promised rescue team, an advanced self-running robot version of the human squad, reaches them, met with extremely hostile reactions and reception, boos and hisses raining down on them, and the human patrols' coldness, glaring at them angrily...

The robots openly face them down, their look utterly expressionless, the strident untenable noise of their rusted and greasy mechanical articulations resounding in the corridor :

Chief Soldier (aggressive) : ''Who the f*** are you lookin' at, you miserable dirty piles of scrap, hmm ? But damn, what the f*** were you doing ? You've been keeping us waiting around for you to bring your goddamn metal asses back here, left us kicking our heels while we had to move Heaven and Earth and to turn every f****** stone to do the job you are supposed to do ! And it's been three hours !''

Chief Robot (offended and disdainful) : ''Shut your big mouth and stop scowling and talking tough in front of me, you miserable dirty piles of flesh ! We received your SOS just ten minutes ago, it was a real uphill battle to come over here ! There's nothing working in that f****** base ! The radios are OT, the transport veins and internal teleporters are unworkable on one of the two calls ; we got lumbered with fixing everything on and one and one !

Chief Soldier (scornful) : ''So what, you robots aren't supposed to be tired ! But you sure are tiresome, as boring as hell !''

Chief Robot (enraged) : ''Shut the f*** up ! Your remarks and reflexions are ridiculous and the desperate words of a poor weak incompetent, playing for time because he's out of good arguments ! How unskilled and pitiful ! YOU were supposed to ensure the complex to function correctly ! All the security systems are haywire and broken-down ; some of them malfunctioned and we had to replace two of us after they were cut in pieces by the protection laser, activated randomly and causing random harm and damaged when not required ! We can't even get out of the base on the surface, since the armored doors, the alarms and the energy shields are all out of gear ! […]

If we come under attack, we're defenseless and an easily detectable target ! In other factories, they had to stop the production because the tractor beams stopped working and the Death Gas shot out of the damaged pipes that the repair machines didn't fix because they were out of order ! It spread in entire areas and the infirmary is overwhelmed by human soldiers losing their minds ! […]

We're just coming back from the gas control center ; they are as perplex as we are !''

Chief Soldier (upset) : ''Not my f***** problem ! Stop cheesing me off with your ridiculous apologies ! We've got something more urgent here : a goddamn enemy having fun playing with our nerves and exterminating us all one by one ! He was even able to blow up the defenses of our Lord's HQ and slipped inside it ! And except corpses, fire, blood, wreckages and crazy cameras running in a loop, showing pictures of a kid's shadow doing some paranormal things, looking more like the Devil's son than a normal child, there's absolutely nothing left in that big shamble ! The target vanished, our Lord as well !''

Chief Robot : ''He probably evacuated the area ! Searching and destroying the threat was your mission, and you failed to ensure the security and keep him safe ! How pitif...''

The soldier draws a blunt saber, opening out like a flexible blade of melted iron, solidifying in the air after being unfolded like a part of swiss army knife, and place it on the chief robot's metal-made neck. The latter violently reacts and draws a plasma energy sword, putting it at the same level but near the human terrorist's neck. The tension is high, the humans' heart skip a beat and the robots' danger detector panic...

Chief Soldier : ''Just repeat that if you a ma...a robot ! And we'll see who will look pitiful, when I blow you to pieces and that your remains will be lying on the floor, trampled by my boys with much pleasure and delectation ! And you can be sure I won't fail !''

Chief Robot : ''And I will make your blood squirt from your guts, and my robots shall bring back your remains to embellish our Lord's bedroom ! And I will spare a thought for you when I am skipping rope with your intestines !''

Chief Soldier : ''Oh, such an angel ; still playing like a lil' kid ! You're just a freakin' toy, a machine made of iron and rust ; you are worthless, only flesh and blood being are ! Go back to your nursery factory and disassemble yourself !''

Chief Robot : ''We are eternal ! You are not real humans, but vulgar organic organisms who were born in test tubes to serve as docile clones in an army led by synthetic life ! And I'd still be as good as new when you die and become a decaying corpse in a coffin, thrown away and incinerated in a crematorium furnace ! And when the dust of your bones is gone, I'll still be there, dancing on your gra...''

Another Soldier : ''Won't you stop one f****** day ?''

The two leaders, about to declare war, glare at this new undesirable disruptive factor and verbally assault him, pointing their guns at him, resentful and frustrated for being interrupted in the middle of this settling of accounts :

Chief Robot & Chief Soldier : ''This is not your business ! How dare you interfering with us ?''

Some unscrewing sounds can be heard ; the robots remove their robotic arms and some sharp small blade-shaped iron teeth sprout out of their fingers' place, while the soldiers turn out their magnetic energy protection shields and switch on holographic screens from command consoles around their wrists, a kind of menu enabling them to show a weapon in their individual inventory list and materialize it in their hands.

Some part of the robots' body come off the armature and remain suspended in the air, the time to transform into tremendous lethal combat mini-drones.

Other Soldier : ''Tell me I'm dreaming ! We have a boy hanging around and always passing us by, getting away with murder and taking the liberty of scoffing at us with an insolent ease, we've lost contact with our own Lord, left to ourselves, with all an army against that boy, who is on his own, in the middle of a dangerous environment he never got into before...AND HE'S WINNING ! You're so stupid and childish, you behave like babies with a smaller mental age than our enemy, who will soon be rid of the need to massacre us one by one ; we'll do it for him ! […]

For crying out loud, get healthy and pick yourself up ! That little monster is playing you off against each other, you're just cooperating with his game !...Geez, what a waste ! Hiring so much lamentably stupid hellions and manufacturing so much low-quality piles of crap ; you're putting us to shame ! You all have a screw loose !''

Chief Robot (His eyes blinking, then turning to red) : ''Who permits you to give us orders ?''

Chief Soldier (pointing his gun at him again) : ''And who asked you to open your stinking mouth ? Out of my way

Chief Robot (raising his robotic hand) : ''OH YOU...''

Those last wicked words and threatening acts dangerously ruffle the humans' feathers and spark off a ferocious conflict to the death, degenerating into a horrible carnage, a bloody slaughter for the humans and a garbage dump for the robots.

Behind an armored door on one of the riddled-with-bullets walls near the conflict area, while the last survivors from the heavy gunshot finish each other off with phosphor bombs, Nobita is spying the abominable scene silently. He didn't miss a second of the conflict, from its beginning to its awful end, furtively observing it thanks to his '_Probing Glasses_', that he took from his pocket, letting him see through the door without running the risk of being located, and very useful to anticipate everyone's reaction, in case someone would try to hide or take cover in his refuge.

The series of disturbances that are affecting the base's security system, what enabled Nobita to accomplish a lot of unhoped-for actions and maneuvers that would have been impossible otherwise, seems to be definitely more serious than anticipated by Nobita himself. It seems that this unknown 'Virus' can infect any kind of electricity-powered device connected to the base's central network, and that the terrorists themselves are forced to temporarily put their plans aside to fix this annoying unexpected problem, which works perfectly to drive everyone crazy.

The only thing left needed to cause a massive crack up was a trigger, a deadly spark that even revived some old rivalries between the robots and the humans, already unstable before and firmly established in their per-conflict relations, which are now awaken and coming bursting out in their darkest and most murderous form...

Nobita, who appears to be narrowly linked to all these events, hit the jackpot : he learned that the hallucinogenic gas he was the victim of, soberly named the _Death Gas_, is quite unstable and can easily get completely out of control, what would make a precious ally for Nobita, who's got a new trail to follow, as he now knows where the gas control room is...

He stands still for a while, still hidden in his refuge, which is in fact the communication relay room, once again, thinking over intensely and regularly turning over to keep an eye on his prisoner, still tied to an office chair and thoroughly gagged with a cloth firmly attached to his mouth to prevent him from alarming, even though it's not of any use anymore since everyone is too busy with their fratricidal war...

Nobita can't help himself smiling and grinning when he sees how stupid his enemies are, and how they just did his own job and considerably made his task easier, now free to move on in the complex, running fewer risks of being shot full of lead on every corner.

This reviving good mood in Nobita's mind, after being crushed and masked by his fear and anguish fills his heart with hope, but it's far from being everyone's case : his prisoner feels extremely ill-at-ease and shivering, his pale face wet with abundant cold-sweat...

This child Nobita is...this child who successfully defeated him, his bodyguard, half of his companions...and now his presence can be felt in all the complex, stricken by a horrible curse, with every of its occupiers disappearing one by one ; a whole army overcome by an innocent-looking kid !

For him, it is clear and obvious that it is Nobita who caused this blackout responsible for the outbreak of this barbaric and absurd conflict between his own war companions, that he now has a great deal of difficulty in still considering them as his friends ! Gone are the times of the united sibling, the infallible unity which gave them their strength !

The terrorist seems more and more disgusted by the unequaled violence livening his former brother in arms' hearts, even more inhuman and fanatically applied, systematically and contentiously enforced like it has become a law. After years of pulling together and forging a lasting close friendship, an inalienable bond of mutual trust and support, a blood tie until death, he falls from grace to see everything destroyed in a single second, revealing the true macho, savage, wild, primal, simplistic, disloyal, disrespectful for human life and unfaithful nature of those mean beings, that he himself consider as terrorists from now on.

His beliefs and a priori are now put into question, and his entire devotion to his cause is soaked with doubt and disbelief. He first hold his pain against Nobita, that he blames for causing the collapse of his dream and the destruction of what he considered as a family. But he has to face the harsh truth :

His so-called Lord betrayed him, just like his comrades, who doesn't have many things differentiating them from savage beasts. Monstrous bloodthirsty fanatic, rigid order maniacs and enslaved by the hypnotizing illusion of a perfect world, their heart devoured by hatefulness and mired in their most primal drives and urges, overstretched by a Guru himself possessed by an incurable fever : the thirst for power.

To him, there's no more utopia, but a coarse and crude manipulation. There's no more united family turned toward the future, devoted to a fight for a better destiny, but a machiavellian sect led by an insane cult of personality, washing away the least notion of humanity and free will from its adepts.

There's no more hostiles, injurious depraved spirits keeping the world off from knowledge and maintaining it in a state of ignorance and heresy that his Lord wants exterminated or brought to the heel, but only innocent people, men, women and children who simply want to live, whose mistreatment and harm are totally unacceptable, unexcused, unjustified and absurd ! […].

And, there's no more heartless 'Demon Child' with no goal in existence, but a survivor who defends himself and the ones he loves, for humanity's own good and who has just opened his eyes, his heart and his mind about reality, and the awful mistake he committed by taking the worst and meanest path ever a man can follow

He knows it's too late to foil his former mates' plans and prevent them from doing something he now realize how horrible it is. He only wants to tear himself away and start all over again...

Over time, Nobita's constant need to survive in a hostile environment taught him how to be a competent skilled perspicacious observer, which can explain why the man's harsh torments and profound regrets do not escape his discerning mind, himself devoured by remorses and culpability...

The man, devastated and broken down, finally decides to speak to Nobita :

Man : ''Before you go, I have a favor to ask...''

Nobita (listening carefully) : ''Do not ask me what I think you want to ask !''

Man : ''Kill me.''

Nobita : ''Have you just heard what I've told you ?''

Man : ''I did...But I have nothing to lose trying !''

Nobita : ''I don't harm unarmed people. If you wanna redeem yourself from your faults and recognize that you were wrong, then just surrender to the police and ever be a threat for the world ever !''

Man : ''Dying would be a more bearable and acceptable issue for me, I won't survive in Prison. I'll never forgive myself...''

Nobita : ''I was about to answer you that if you beg for forgiveness, you'll have to resign yourself to deal with your responsibilities and accept the possible punishment you deserve, but I've been myself fleeing and denying them for so long, and now I pay the highest price ever...death ! The fact to accept to face up to your responsibilities, renounce violence and disown the illusion they bogged you down into, it's what you're doing. And it is a great act of courage in itself, and somehow, I have nothing to advise or impose you ! I must confess that I'm myself following this same path ; I'm accepting my mistakes and the punishment that I'll be sentenced for...death ! It's my pledge of salvation, what shall permit me to be forgiven ! […]

If you wanna do the same, then I set you free ! Prove me that we you're pretending is true !''

Man : ''So you wanna die too ? Aren't you a bit too...young ?''

Nobita : ''Like you, I made many mistakes in my life, so much that I've become useless and a parasite for the world ! I was given the opportunity to catch up with life and retrieve what I had lost, but I failed...But I was also given the opportunity to choose how I would be punished for that. I chose to die...It's my last word ! Do you have a family ?''

Man : ''No...We separated a long time ago...I was too bad for them !'', he says starting to cry...

Nobita (comforting) : ''Welcome to the Club Of The Undesirables !''

Nobita unties him by cutting the ropes around his ankles, orders him to get up, grab his hand and demands him to take his gun. It's up to him to make his own decision : either he kills him and his Lord will be so glad and grateful that he will both congratulate and reward him for remaining his docile suggestible and submissive servant, forever slave to his savagery...Or, he simply gives the gun back.

Nobita knows he's taking the biggest risk of his life and is playing with the deadliest fire ever. But for him, it'd be a dishonor, and quite unfair not to let this man having the same chance to make amends and embark upon a long road to redemption, like him...

The man bustles about and obeys Nobita's orders...but he makes neither the first nor the second choice. He drops the weapon next to Nobita's feet, his eyes filled with admiration and consideration, touched by Nobita's thoughtfulness, and bends on his knees, trying to embrace the little boy. Nobita can't help himself feeling glad to have brought same comfort in someone's heart. He gently repulses him, but is quite moved by this unexpected surprising behavior from a man that was still cursing him and swearing his death and to bring out his downfall, just a few time ago...He clearly gained his respect !

Man (sobbing) : ''I'm sorry, I'm so sorry ! I sinned, please forgive m...''

Nobita (authoritative and protective tone) : ''I'll forgive you when you prove all you promised to do is right ! Now, get the hell up and wipe those nasty tears like a big boy ! And stop looking so unhappy and miserable, you behave like a dim-witted crying toddler ! You remind me of...well myself...a few days ago !'', he whispers, a bit embarrassed...

Man (soft voice) : ''What..do I have to do ?''

Nobita : ''First, what's your name ?''

Man : ''Akinari.''

The man is quite surprised when Nobita then asks him to turn over. He belatedly realizes his true attentions, thought he was suspecting it judging by Nobita's relative mistrust toward him, which is normal as the man has just changed sides. Nobita strikes him a sound blow on his head that knocks him unconscious. He then sweetly drags his body with utmost care into a panel-mounted electrical cabinet, locking him up with some food, water, a torch...and a metal cutting shear he found in a tool box, along with a piece of paper, where the following message is written :

''I'm sorry for what I did, but I've caused enough trouble in my life not to let someone else die. If you wake up (I hope you will !), you can find some food, water and other first need supplies with you. My instructions, if you respect them, are : don't get out of here ; you're safe in there ! Whatever you decide, don't act stupidly...and stay alive !

_The Kid_''

Nobita knows it's too risky for him to let that ''former terrorist'', based only on his words, free to do whatever he wants. If he's only pretending or performing an acting role as part of another evil plan to better betray him from behind, or just finding a way to escape, there's no question of letting him go or execute his plans.

And even if he actually became an ally, he may, by his own actions, both endanger his life and jeopardize Nobita's mission..and Nobita's life as well !

**[…]**

Nobita is now en route to the place the robots mentioned before engaging the fight with the humans, about the Death Gas controlling center. It's a highly-secured place, but with the recent explosive tensions infecting among terrorists rows and the ensuing bloody clashes, it shouldn't be as protected as usual...what Nobita deeply hopes !

But as he walks forward, another well-known problem comes to slow him down again : his delusional mind is hallucinating incoherently again. A completely delirious Nobita is raving furiously and starts to show signs of insanity, getting out of his mind and driven crazy by a dreadful sensation of being crushed down by a huge mass of rocks falling from the ceiling and literally swallowing him...

Around him, the complex is shrinking, reduced to a tiny ball of iron, compressing itself to a smaller size until it explodes, leaving only white...a white-colored environment, with nothing else but white.

Nobita's got more than enough of those repetitive nonsensical visions, and decides to sit down on what seems to be the floor, all white but impossible to feel it with his sense of touch, like he's either floating up, but without knowing in what precisely...like he is bathed in a pool of air !

But he feels no more concerted nor preoccupied by this when he sees a shadow far away, growing bigger and approaching him. He remains calm, not afraid of this know-comer in his sickly dreamworld, now used to see everything possibly imaginable around him. But after getting a more observant glimpse at it, he realizes this odd form of life coming closer is nobody but Doraemon, visiting him again, in his daydream !

Both look at each other with their curious eyes, overjoyed just to think that they can meet again. For the first time, Nobita admits that he was half expecting it, making the link with Doraemon's previous incursions, twice visiting Nobita in his moments of lunacy.

They aimlessly walk in the immensity of this blank, soundless and empty atmosphere, next to each other. Nobita feels distended and uncomfortable, trying to elude Doraemon's warm and tender look, his delighted and relaxed smile as well. He wishes he could slip out and go back to reality before feeling like staying forever and going back in time to start all his life over again, but how can't he just and make the best of the situation to enjoy this rare vision of his best friend he'll never see again...

They engage in a conversation about Nobita's problems, remorses and the possible solutions to solve them. There's a complete absence of any notion of time or place ; this timeless and purposeless chat has no reason to be, it shouldn't even exist ! But he succumbs to his desire to make it last a little longer and the willingness to make this experience memorable and unforgettable as he can, falling victim to his own craving need for happiness, as a short time of well-deserved rest, and convinces himself to let the conversation go on and forget about the rest...

They end up talking about the terrorists' leader. After all, maybe this vision of Doraemon is a representation of a kind of benevolent angel or a kindly holy guide. Nobita's got nothing to lose asking if 'he' can help him or give him a clue...

Doraemon : ''He is a monster ! That leader played with you ; you're life is only a vulgar toy for that snotty childish irresponsible man !''

Nobita : ''Don't say that, it reminds me of myself ! But somehow, I feel pity for him...Like me, he, well if there's really one single person leading them, he was a baby too when he was born, then a child. He grew up, he had times when he wanted to play, to love, to be loved, to smile, to search for self-flourishing and seek for happiness...like every baby ! And he turned into a child, then grew up to a teenager, and then...unless I'm actually facing another kid, which would be more than surprising, he's now an adult ! And just like me, he wasted his life and was the author of his own misfortune. He isn't a monster. He became one...Just like...''

Doraemon : ''Please, don't say you became one too ! I feel it coming...''

Nobita : ''How...did you guess I would say that ?''

Doraemon (teasing) : ''You don't need to be a bookish and gifted intellectual to sense that someone who gives you a letter full of hatred and spitefulness against himself doesn't consider himself an angel ! But someone who can even understand and feel compassion for his worst enemy is far from being a monster ! It pains me much to hear you describing yourself such a contemptuous way !''

Nobita : ''Do you...are you mad at me...for that ? Tell me...''

Doraemon (stopping and hangs his head in guilt) : ''They are many people I have reason to blame, starting with myself...but certainly not you ! I have nothing to hold against yourself, and never, you can hear it...NEVER, I will be annoyed with you !...Oh heck, I shouldn't have revived this subject ! Forgive me !''

Nobita (patting his head) : ''I won't...since I don't have to ! I'm the only one unforgivable here !''

Doraemon (patting back) : ''You are not unforgivable, you are unforgiving...with yourself ! But I'm going to change it ! You don't seem convinced, but I exactly know how I'm going to do it right now !''

Nobita (curious) : ''How ?''

Nobita feels really like something really incredible is about happen, and he doesn't realize how right he is ! Doraemon jumps, without warning into Nobita's arms, which are wide open as if he were unintentionally expecting it. He rushed so fast that Nobita is pushed behind, falling down backward on his bottom, like he's got a big cuddly fluffy toy, stuck to his belly !

He remains still while Doraemon warmly cuddles him. He's never been wishing a dream to turn into reality so much in his life. They hug tight for a while, like they're completely hooked on each other ; Nobita could not possibly imagine such a lovely attention from his friend, which Nobita could consider as still full of pleasant surprises if he wasn't actually a vision !

Doraemon : ''Remember when you were little ?...No, even better : when we both went back in time to see how you were born ! Wasn't that awesome ?'', he says in a very enthusiastic voice...

Nobita (thoughtful) : ''Yes, it was...And I'm talking about it in a past tone. That time is over. I recognize it...as the only period in my life that still give me the force to smile now and then. But it's over, I lost that '_ability_' to be happy since...I can't even see a baby with my eyes, 'cause in each one of them, I see the Nobita I were first, that I could have been...and never will !''

Doraemon (still smiling) : ''Come on, you still have it in you, it's just...asleep ! You know, you're so young...At your age, you still have plenty much to learn about life, and I admit it's not always easy ! You have flaws, but contrary to what you're thinking, you are surrounded with people just waiting to willingly help you open up, to take on the challenge of making you happy...and to love you !''

Nobita (hesitating) : ''You...you...can't make me believe that ! I know how young I am...but, anyway ! Just look at Suneo : he's arrogant, pretentious...but also intelligent and brilliant ! Gian is egg-centric and a bully, but he's strong and fearless ! And concerning Shizuka...I think I'd need to lose my love and break up to see the least flaw in her ! [...He blushes and smiles as he stares at in the sky with a dreamy look...]

But me...I have nothing ! I have nothing...but flaws !''

Doraemon (in a reassuring and mischievous tone) : ''That's not truuuuuuue ! You're so pessimistic, you little impish scamp ! But on my words of Doraemon, cross my heart and hope to die, I swear I'll make you change your mind ! Or else, I will dress in a girl suit and dance the Mambo on TV !'', he gently whispers while tickling Nobita...

Nobita is very ticklish and what Doraemon said makes him feels like laughing and having a good time, and he quickly tickles Doraemon back...

''Don't hate yourself, Nobi-kun ! You truly know who you really are deep inside ! Show it to the world, and the world shall reward you openly-ly-ly-ly...''

Like a defective flawed computer, Doraemon constantly repeats the end of his last pronounced word. He huge 'bug' occurs and causes the 'dreamland' in Nobita's mind to crash and fade to a sudden black. Nobita feels an overwhelming heat burning his skin and clothing. His blurred vision shows him what appears to be the inside of a building on fire, devastated by the ravaging flames of a huge blaze consuming everything on its way like a wisp of straw.

A nightmarish apocalyptic atmosphere, resounding with the horrible screams of the survivors, trapped in this hellish fire and desperately praying for a rescue team to get them out. Everyone's breathing is poisoned with a suffocating ashes smoke ; the toxicity of the air is oppressive and dreadful...

Nobita is all the more surprised as he seems to be one of the rescue team members, but more like a shock professional elite intervention unstoppable squad of Star Heroes. He's carrying gadgets with him, including a kind of grapple that he successfully uses to jump in between the burning girders and climbs the floors as the stairs were destroyed, crossing the flames with his friends, with all his friends, including Doraemon himself !

They all look more adult-aged and mature ; a more positive, brilliant and stunning version of what Nobita could become once a grown-up...Nobita is obviously about to save a family cornered in their bedroom as the ceiling, burning down and weakened can collapse frosm one moment to the next...

Gian (teasing him) : ''Nobita, we need to hurry ! At this rhythm, the world's got the time to explode !''

Nobita : ''Impossible, we've already prevented it !''

Nobita is dumbfounded and astounded. Would that odd sentence mean that they actually stopped the terrorists from blowing up Tokyo ? Is that a foretaste of what will happen after this event ? Is Nobita cut out and destined for a magnificent future ?

He cannot control his 'character', only the witness of a fictive Nobita, or projected in his future himself's mind. He feels much more powerful, responsive, active, agile, braver and stronger than he never were before. But what impresses him the most is his renewed and much improved relation with his friends, maintaining a close, supportive and strongly tied relationship with them. A great and unbreakable complicity, like between two action-comedy film secret agents, two brothers, two soldiers in a war field, two super heroes facing an alien invasion, tow buddy cops totally opposed in their ways to act, but who cannot be without one other, and forming an inseparable invisible team nothing can break apart...

Gian (challenging tone) : ''Nobita, this time I swear I'll beat you...I won't let you be the record-holder in saving the most people in one night !''

Suneo (provoking) : ''Oh, cut it out, boys ! I'm sure I'm going to reach them first ! It's not worth tryin', guys !''

Doraemon (amused) : ''I'd not bet on it, boy !...Nobita, it's all going to collapse where you are ! Don't get yourself in danger again !''

Nobita : ''Cool off, Dora-cute ! I won't die tonight, 'cause I have a dinner with Shizuka-chan waiting for me ; there is no question of missing it ! I will have this dinner, whether dead or alive !''

Doraemon (flushing) : ''Grrr, don't call me like that ! And how the hell do you want me to cool off in such a place ? Heeey, what are you doing ?'', he yells when he sees Nobita taking a shortcut by crawling through flames to save the family...

Doraemon (stressed) : ''No, Nobita wait, I've a gadg...Oh, crap, he's going to do something really stupid by dint of acting that dangerously ! If he goes on like that...''

Nobita (about to throw himself in the inferno) : ''I said cool of...well, chill out, if you prefer ! It's not the first time I do that...''

Nobita takes a deep breath, focus on his objective and raises his two hands above his head, closing his eyes...He twirls his fingers around each other, faster and faster, until the air above him starts to swirl furiously, carrying away the dust and the smallest pieces of woods, fragments of concrete and remaining broken pieces of glass, generating a mini-tornado which puts out the fire within his scope. Now that the fire is extinguished, the people trapped are able to move on and rush to Nobita, but he reacts just in time when the building's roof and the floor collapse, weakened by the blaze and breaking off under the weight of the running survivors.

He creates a bridge of solid compressed air under their feet, and in the end, they are successfully brought to safety...Obviously, his powers didn't give him up !

Nobita doesn't have the time to react as 'he and himself' are about to jump into the flames to save a second group of people, not even to blink or wince as his eyes are abruptly attacked by an aggressive change of lighting, like after an hour of relentless chafing. The yellow-orange vivid bright light fades to black again and Nobita falls unconscious again...

He recognizes the corridor he was walking in when he wake up and opens his eyes again, rubbing them intensely, his vision, troubled with flashes of light, barely allows him to get up leaning against the wall, greatly troubled...

Nobita (very disappointed) : ''Damn, it's really getting over-the-top now...and on my nerves as well ! If only I could have some explanations about those stupid dreams I don't even know what the hell they mean, coming from who knows where...I hope it's the not the doing of the terrorists again, or else I swear on my ******* life that they will know what pain is !''

Just the fact to think that his dementia isn't visibly about to end fills Nobita with a frightful and quite unpleasant anguish. It could happen anytime, and even though it lasts for one single second, it's enough unsettling and bothering to become hazardous to him. Being seized with a sudden vision in the middle of a fight would make him unstable and destabilize him ; it might then prove fatal and left him dead.

And it's really out of the question such a foolish thing to cost him his life so stupidly whereas he survived the impossible !

Nobita, thought he vainly tries to ignore those repetitive nonsensical visions, can't help himself thinking about all he's been through during this last hallucination. A view of Doraemon trying to comfort him and making him live the most enjoyable and pleasant experience Nobita could ever wish to live with him one day, and then a brief but detailed overview of a possible future life, almost utopian and perfect compared to what he has been living so far...

Either he's really getting crazy, which would seriously put into question the truthfulness and real nature of what he's doing, or there is someone trying to communicate with him. But for what, consoling him ? An odious manipulation ? Another trick ? Or just a sadistic mind intruder taking pleasure in raising a false hope in Nobita's thoughts to cause as many pain as he can ? […]

All these questions will have to wait ; Nobita isn't willing to search for an answer nor using up time focusing more on their meaning. He's got more urgent things to do : a diabolical plan to foul up and the biggest overpopulated megalopolis in the world to save !

Nobita (very ironic tone) : ''What a relief !''

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	15. The Fight For Control

**Chapter 15 : The Fight For Control**

Guard : ''Everything is going down the drain over here, it's driving me mad ! I'm not paid to face such a messy and uncontrollable situation ; god damns it ! It pisses me off, I want to split from this stupid absurd organization which is doomed to failure, I'm outta here !''

Patrol Chief : ''Stop your bullshits and calm down ! All you say is rubbish ! You won't do anything but shut up and do your job, that's the only way you can make some dough, as useless and incompetent as you are ! You are paid only for THAT, and it's because of YOUR fail to control the situation that we're in a mess now ! What would our Lord say if you heard you ? Sincerely, what a pity !''

Guard (offended but scarred) : ''But..Sir, on...''

Patrol Chief : ''I don't want to hear anything more from your mouth ! That little Devil has attacked again, and he's slowly striking us down ; he even dared to lash out at our production facilities. He screwed up many robots that cost millions upon millions, and sent several of our pals to the infirmary, when not six feet under ! Not to mention all the damages...And our Lord doesn't seem to know about it, neither him or the promised reinforcements in case of major snags or trouble seems to care...and now all the crazy people out there are fighting each other. I'll kill any bastard who will attempt to reproduce this in there, in MY sector ! [...]

If nobody gives a damn, we'll do it the all-fashioned way ! […] I want that brat's body laying down to my feet in an hour !''

Guard : ''Sir, we first need to find him, he's untraceable and nowhere to be found, it's impossible to force him out !''

Patrol Chief : ''It doesn't matter to me, get along with it ! You were informed of what occurred in the factory, when that 'glitch boy' went out of an air vent, screaming and running hysterically like he's being hunted by a demon, right ? It was the Death Gas's effects, and it almost killed him ! It could have been his undoing if the worker there had bothered to do their job properly ! Ya see, he's got some weak points too ! [...]''

Those terrorists, among the rare ones who still haven't succumbed to the gigantic wave of violence and fratricidal wars shaking and drenching the complex in blood. They try as best they can to hatch a contingency plan, strong and reliable enough to bring back order and put an end to this terrible nightmare.

Meanwhile, Nobita makes his way through a corridor defended by unarmed unloaded turrets, taking advantage of changeover time for the guards and brief pass of an ''inspector mechanical'', coming to reweld some wires and check the turret's good working condition. He stealthily creeps under the big power-supplying cables, searching all around him for a potential emergency escape way to creep off in case it would become necessary.

That way, he successfully sneaks up behind him and knock him down with the cross of his weapon, drags his body in the shadow of a darker place behind a crate, and approaches his objective : the Death Gas control room.

Nobita places himself in front of the entrance door, after previously knocking down another sentinel who was smoking a cigar against the wall, and unplugging some electric cables to deactivate the turrets, discreetly looks through the window and attentively spies the conversation, while drawing up a plan of attack...

Guard : ''But sir, how can we do that ?''

Patrol Chief (knocking at the Guard's forehead) : ''Am I supposed to read in your thoughts ? Try to rack the few brain you have and to prove yourself worthy to serve under the orders of our beloved Lord ! Figure out a good and firm way to make that brat understand that this place isn't a playground and that his bad actions here have a price ! If we fail, our Lord won't only present us the bill for all the damages caused so far ! No, he'll send a whole army of deadly sluggers and bullet-addicted killers who will be delightfully smiling while bumping us off to punish us for our incompetence, for YOUR incompetence ! Did you hear that, you brainless moron ? We're in the hell a predicament, so don't you ever dare to beg me to find a solution to the trouble YOU let grow out of control !''

Nobita suddenly jolts in fear, about to turn over as a reflex and open fire behind him as he hears some mysterious pinking and clicking sound near the deactivated security turrets, thinking another robotic ''Kamikazes mobile bomb'' was approaching, as he's met many of them before while dealing with the human terrorists and the robot conflict...

He holds off but he fears the noises might have caused him to be located ; he won't be able to sneak in without avoiding detection any longer...

He changes his plans and prepares to storm in :

Patrol Chief (angry) : ''[…] You're lucky : for so much stubbornness and obstinacy, I could kill and smash you to a pulp ! But it happens that I appreciate people like you, who's got the memory of a goldfish and a piece of Gruyere cheese full of holes as a brain, it reminds me of the great genius I am ! I feel so clever with so stupid bad asses like you !''

Nobita (bursting in) : ''Then, you gonna love me !''

Without anyone expecting it, like a ruthless hawk swooping on his prey, Nobita storms in the control room and opens fire on the patrol chief with the plasma canon integrated into his armor, and at lightning speed, neutralizes the other guards next to their former chief from his position.

But it's now Nobita's turn to be taken by surprise, as many reinforcements, alerted by the gunfight, comes to the rescue and blocks him from fleeing back in case of forced retreat, and are now threatening him of shooting him down in his back if he doesn't surrender right away. Some security robots and the rescue team's elite soldiers are teleported inside, which would normally take much more time...It was a trap, and Nobita is surprised to see that in the middle of this general mess, there are still people waiting for him !

He seems to be cornered and definitely lost this time...

The patrol chief gets up slowly, still alive but badly banged-up, trembling and clutching to a big water pipe, his face half-burned and severely swollen, resulting from Nobita's plasma shoot, stumbling for a while, glaring at this adversary who dared to assault and mutilate him that much.

But, to Nobita's stupor and surprise, he orders his men to hold back and spare him. He seems to be decided to engage in a dialog with his enemy !

Nobita doesn't try to understand and takes advantages of this unexpected chance to gain time, develop another '_great unerring_' tactical strategy to get himself out of this can of worms...and to get ready to die in case things would go wrong !

Guard : ''Drop your weapon now, you stupid fool ! Or else...''

Nobita (staring at him) : ''Else what ? Come on, shot ! What are you waitin' for ?''

The chief patrols clearly sees that the situation is quite difficult and tense, each one taking aim at the other, in a fierce glance defiance battle. In his hand, he's holding a powerful magnetic plasma gun ; he could instantly make him vanish into particles, or simply knock him out by reducing the arm's power level and lobotomize his brain thanks to his neurmanipulator, leaving only a perfectly obedient empty shell that he could offer to his Lord...Or maybe an expressionless docile toy slave for himself !

But it would be better if he stayed alive to enjoy this opportunity ! Nobita's recent actions, doings and excellence in proving how dangerous he could be, have already made him a legend among his peers. He is the first to realize it and he knows that he may be confronting his last enemy ; his chances to be defeated by this kid are real !

But it would definitely look absurds to his mind to be defeated by a kid, but judging by the number of enemies, much stronger and more powerful that himself, Nobita floored down...

It's actually more than obvious he doesn't particularly cares for his Lord and only venerates him to get protection and access more power, there's no doubt that all terrorists inherited their leader's egotistical nature :

Patrol Chief (scratchy voice) : ''I think we're all stuck in a dead-end ! And I think we have the time to talk, right ?''

Nobita : ''It depends..If you can ask your 'Lord' to stop playing with his nuclear toy, then yes we have some time !''

Patrol Chief (a bit surprised and trying to hide his amazement) : ''Hehehe […] So here's our famous so-called troublemaker...I'm...a little disappointed ; I was expecting a true experimented hero who's got what it takes to pack a punch and wow us like Hell, not a poor flaccid bird-brained snotty kid ; I feel like puking just looking at your so has-been look and sluggish appearance ! The only thing you'll succeed here is to get yourself killed !''

Nobita (joking, with an amused voice) : ''I give you nausea ? I really have some strange powers ; I'm learning so much about me here, how pleasant ! If you're tryin' to impress me with these stupid threatening words and to make me mad, you're kidding yourself ! And stop approaching me, keep your distance !''

Everybody's ready to shoot, but also very frightened and feeling unstable...At the end of the barrel of each one's gun is their worst nightmare, the horrible glitch that is spreading death and horror in their heart, the deadly invincible enemy that nothing can stop. For them, he's nothing but the devil himself disguised as the symbol of innocence, but appearing as more dangerous than all their perverted minds can possibly imagine...

Their lives depend on their next action : they just can't miss it out ! But the patrol chief seems to be enjoying his confrontation with his future victim, much more self-confident than his horrified acolytes, and wants it to last :

Patrol Chief (waving his hands with a delighted grin) : ''You're very smart, lil boy ! You see, we're really getting bored here, so when we learned that a poor small child like you shot Yuko down, our dear Lord's assistant commander that you met and had a great intense duel with in the Boiler Room, simply by making him angry...Hats off to you ! We almost wanted to extend our congratulations and widely applaud you, especially when we could witness your exceptional marksman talents ! After all, when you have a skill, it's better to use it ! […]

I saw many other soldier patrols, all those cowards were chickening out ; they said they would rather be sentenced to death than a direct and open clash with you ! You feel so ghastly when you realize how depend you are to technology surrounding and invading our lives ! You just need the communications to be cut off and the defense system that provided you that false impression of security to be on the f***** blink...And we all regress to stone age, the time when rumors where the best (and only) way to exchange some informations ! And really, we hear so much absurd things...like the groundless story about a so-called '_upholder of the law_' kid screwing everything up ! But it doesn't with me ! [...] But as you may have noticed, we're seven in this room, and you...you're one ! You really think you have the slightest chance against us ? Aren't you afraid to die ?''

Nobita (arming the hammer of his gun) : ''Death and me, we almost met and ran into each other more than often, but it never dared stand in front of me and look at me in the eyes ! So, if even Death is afraid of me, I'm certainly not going to get the jitters in front of you of your goddamn Lord ! You will have to do better than this to make me quake with fear !''

Patrol Chief (offended) : ''You owe your life to our '_Goddamn Lord_', you ingrate squirt ! He refuses to kill you because you pleases him, but he didn't impose us to let you live...and you're anything but diverting and enjoyable to me, especially when you come to create disorder in MY domain and nose around like a pest ! So, now you gonna gently drop your gun on the floor, very carefully, and if everything goes right, I promise you a rapid death !'', he says walking toward Nobita...

There's perceived impediment among other soldiers around, viewing their chief's lack of prudence and alertness with a jaundiced eye, scared about his conceited attitude, as he looks down at Nobita while lowering his guard, acting like he can't be defeated. But Nobita doesn't show any sign of fear or anguish, and pulls out a grenade (which is in fact a trick) from his Mini-Dora pocket, and threatens everyone of pulling the pin out. Nobody knows he's bluffing, which causes anguish to rise in the terrorists' minds. Controlling their nervousness and manage this tense situation has become impossible for their nerves, only their chief's presence prevents them from blowing a fuse...

The patrol chief keeps approaching Nobita, but he doesn't want to die by doing a big mistake. Nobita looks serious and even his ego is too afraid to go on...

Nobita : ''Maybe it looks comical and laughable for you to see a brat playing 'Super Cop', but I'm freaking serious when I politely ask you not to come any closer ! But I can get mad and very mean if your ears are dumb and that I'm forced to repeat myself ! So, for the last time : KEEP AWAY FROM ME ! […He waves his hand holding his gun in the air...]

And, concerning what you were sayin' before, I think it's a shame that you don't find me funny, because I find you funny !''

He looks at the patrol chief's scarred wincing-in-anger face, and briefly focuses on the water pipes he's still lying against...

Nobita (improvising to gain time) : ''Hmm...I see you're the type to like compliments, but since it's the first time I meet someone who's got some humor, I want to celebrate it : how about a riddle ?''

Another soldier (trying to hide his fear) : ''Shut up, you stupid nerd ! I'm going to...'', he whispers with a trembling voice, releasing the bolt of his machine gun...

Patrol Chief : ''Mind your own business, you fool ! Just go searching for a snack, I hate torturing little bad kids on an empty stomach...''

Nobita (loud voice) : ''You should know it's very bad to graze between meals ! And nobody's going anywhere ; the next step for all of us shall be Hell if one of you moves !'', he says while shaking his fake grenade again...

A robot : ''You statically have three per cent chance to survive this duel, and four and a half per cent chance to get out of here alive...", says the robot while interrupting Nobita with is empty artificial voice...

Nobita : ''Oh, shut it up ! What the hell are you, the previous robot model that existed before Doraemon ? I understand why they stopped the production ! [...]''

Patrol Chief (mocking voice) : ''Oh, it's not kind of you, poor lil robot ! How naughty ! But anyway, if you insist, then you can express yourself as long as you can ! I'm listening...what's your riddle about ? Make the pleasure last, but don't keep us hanging around too much, I'm so eager to drop off your body to my Master's feet !''

Nobita : ''One minute please, I need to think over...''

Patrol Chief : ''Think over what ? You have no riddle, right ? You said that to gain some more time, enough to pray the Lord for salvation in your head ! Oh, I know : you've got the jitters, you're peeing yourself, and you're thinking about this brand of diapers you once saw in a shop, you should have bought some !''

Everybody bursts out laughing around, but Nobita doesn't look impressed...He doesn't give way to anger like his enemy does :

Nobita (grinning) : ''No, I just...hope I won't have to use this gun I'm holding in my hand to defeat you, I fear I might stain those beautiful tapestries under your feet !'', he exclaims with an even more sarcastic and mocking tone...

The Patrol chief starts to shiver and tremble, both in fear but in anger, quite upset and infuriated at Nobita's silly attitude. He doesn't understand why he behaves like this while he's about to die. He's not stupid and knows that he would not act with such a self-confident and ingrate attitude if he were actually cornered with not plan B...

He feels like Nobita's setting a trap for him, and tries to speed things up...He knows that his adversary won't lose his temper, he's too strong and concentrated to succumb to a bad feeling that would make him lose control. But he feels like his plan may backfire at him, as he starts to get really mad about being widely ridiculed by this impotent kid...

He wants to press the triggers, he really wants it. But Nobita's got his gun aimed straight at him, his nervous hand about to shoot too. And everyone in there, him first, knows what Nobita's capable of when he's got a firearm in his hands...If he shoots, they will kill each other !

He vainly tries to make Nobita lose concentration, but the latter remains unflinching, thanks to his exceptional ability to stay calm and self-restrain when he's in danger, in addition to his thoughts to his family, his friends, and all the lives who's fates depend on him...

The Patrol chief (upset) : ''C'mon, tell me your goddamn riddle, let's get it over ! Our Lord is fed up with you ! You entered here like turbulent kid who's not monitored by his parents would enter a porcelain shop, you're breaking everything ! And your punishment for that shall be so awful that...''

Nobita : ''I beg your pardon for interrupting you, but I thought your boss enjoyed my presence here ! And I don't think comparing this facility you're using as a base and headquarters to a porcelain shop is very flattering !...But on the other hand, it's quite realistic : you're so frail, fragile and weak ; being beaten by a kid...''

The patrol chief feels extremely ill-at-ease, knocking he could actually lose the high ground against this boy who seems to be dominating and progressively overpowering him from the very beginning. He doesn't know that Nobita feels quite skeptical about the way it's going to end as well, and it's exactly what he wants...But the patrol chief is far too scared even to think about being overcome by this brat, in addition to losing his life, and it makes him the most perturbed and frightened man among the terrorists...

He struggles trying to counter his enemy's attacks, but he's out of new ideas...

Nobita (delighted) : ''You don't know what to answer, the Cat got your tongue ? What a horrible indigestion, I really feel sorry for him !''

The Patrol chief : ''F*** you ! Someone who's about to die like you should not have any reason to smile !''

Nobita : ''So what ? A joke is supposed to be funny, right ?''

Nobita glares at the chief patrol, who's face, already bruised, badly hurt by Nobita's plasma shoot, is scarred by anguish, some cold-sweat popping up through his skin :

Nobita : ''So tell me, Mr. mangled-face scarecrow...Wait a second, don't tell me I'm the one who did this to you ! Really ? Oops, sorry ! If one day you travel in 'Planet _Yuck!_', settle there, they'll definitely accept you ! [...the chef patrol gnashes his teeth...] I'm kidding, but anyway, here's my question : What happens when you suddenly release a pressurized fluid ? […]''

Chief Patrol (losing his balance) : ''What the f**** ?''

Nobita (taking aim at the water pipe at lightning speed) : ''You take on water!''

Nobita shoots in the pipe while dropping his toy grenade on the floor, causing everyone to panic. He's just got the time to get down before the shocked guards behind and in front of him decide to open fire together, accidentally killing each other.

The water, under pressure, is released from the pierced pipe that finally explodes. A huge sudden wave resulting from the water overflow outpours from the broken pipe, short-circuits the robots instantly and sweeps away every living being who couldn't run away in time...

Nobita holds his breath and clutches to a lumpy bump jutting out from the floor under the water pressure. Behind him, some soldiers wearing exoskeletons are making their way through the water burst, using their flamethrowers to make the liquid boil off , but Nobita doesn't care, busy trying not to perish in that disaster he triggered himself. Since everyone thinks that he drowned and is escaping the place in every possible way, Nobita can act without being noticed.

He grabs a modified plasma-powered laser-equipped version of the Air Canon torn away from a killed soldier floating in the amount of water squeezing out of the pipe and turning the room into a macabre shredded robot parts aquarium. He shoots at the first wall he takes aim at, causing a massive depressurization.

The amount of water is evacuated in a neighboring computer room, which are crushed down and short-circuited in turn. The high-voltage current isn't very powerful but still electrocutes the flamethrowers soldiers, but Nobita is protected by his insulating armor...

Nobita (clutching to a pipe to get up) : ''It's the hell hot, at your home ! A bit of freshness and it feels better, right ? But I think I brought a little too much water...'', he says keeping his head above water

Patrol Chief : ''Rhaaaaaaa, you gonna pay for that, you brat ! You won't cheat me this time ! You won't ch...'', he yells trying not to be carried away by the remaining water, miffed and enraged by the electroshock...

But, contrary to Nobita, he doesn't wear an armor and is slighter than his enemy. His eyes, already damaged by Nobita's shoot, are wet and irritated, like he got sand thrown in his face. Blinded and panicked, he loses his grips and falls in the furious flow of water, knocking himself out as water carries him against the broken wall...

Nobita : ''Now you know what it feels to lose ! Bye bye, you bloody idiot !''

The unbearable racket ceases, replaced by an oppressive deadly hush, as another evidence of the horrible general chaos prevailing over the area, like a macabre draft of glacial air blowing above a ravaged battlefield...

Nobita : ''This one was harder to infuriate ! But in the end, they're all the sames : they always need to deliver an absurd and diabolical speech to their future victims, just to ridicule and break them down before taking their lives...Pff, incorrigible !''

Nobita feels so stunned and can hardly realize that he's still alive after so many twists and turns, turnarounds and shifts. He doesn't know how he manages to escape the worst predicaments and avoid an almost certain death each time, in total contradiction with his former life, in a situation that really seems desperate and doomed to failure, with the least possibility of a positive end being nothing short of a miracle...It really blows his mind away !

Yet, he really feels fine and in a great shape, with a firework of adrenaline boiling in his guts.

Nobita turns his head around to look at all the mess he caused again, and notices the control panel with a holographic sphere-shaped form created by a neon lamp. And above it, an armored window overlooking a small isolated chamber, with dozens of pipe holes in the walls ; it looks like all the surrounding areas' plumbing systems arise from here. It must be the main source of the Death Gas !

And this is a good thing :

Nobita hears some survivors coughing as they slowly get up, shaking and trembling awkwardly. They hear in turn a whistle, and when they lift their heads up, they see Nobita's gun pointed at their heads, forcing them to get up without attempting any kind of 'clumsy gesture' against him...

He forces them to reroute the death gas in the air vents inside all the human-populated parts of the complex..But the control panel is blocked and locked up by a steel-made sliding protection component that was activated in emergency...

Nobita : ''That...hull, that thing protecting the panel...Remove it !''

Terrorist (scornful) : ''We call that a sliding security reinforced hood, very useful to keep the hands of nasty curious kid off of adult stuff like this, you puny little brat ! And don't count on me to give you a hand, not even in your most wonderful dreams ! If you're really that strong, then just make holes in it 'till you can reach what's behind, if you want it so much !''

Nobita (frowning) : ''You gonna kindly obey me or I'll be making holes in your head !''

Terrorist : ''You wouldn't dare, you're not the kind of man that would shoot innocen...''

Nobita sets his gun down upon the terrorist's hair and shoots. The bullet brushes past the top of his head but ends up tucked into a wall. The crack makes the wimpy man jolt in fright, almost rupturing his eardrums...The scared terrorist gazes at the pieces of hair, torn off his head falling under his eyes...He swallows his pride, rushes to the control panel and unlocks it straight away...

Nobita : ''Sorry, I think I slightly disturbed you ; if I get out of here alive, I'll maybe offer you a free hairdresser session ! […] You're lucky : after all these comings and goings through this badly heated base, with all your pals relentlessly following me around, I got a big bad cold, and I missed my target...But the next time, the bullet will be shot a few centimeters lower...And if you have doubts, then go ask your pals who's had the misfortune of getting in my way so far ! […] And you, my friend, you gonna help your pal doing what I want, right ?'', Nobita says while looking at the second submitted man...

Terrorist 2 : ''I was about to say f*** you !''

Nobita (upset by this snide comment) : ''Such a bad language, aren't you ashamed to talk to a child like this ?! But maybe the language of bullets shall make you more cooperative !''

Terrorist : ''You're so arrogant and abject, you disgust me...And unwise, and rash, and imprudent too ! You decided to stay here and vainly try to gain time by spreading this gas throughout the base, but you're losing time and you should better run, as long as you can !''

Nobita : ''YOU are the only one making me losing my time !''

Terrorist : ''But I won't stop 'till you decide to become a criminal and take my life ! It's the price to have a bit of peace !'', he sniggers trying to perturb Nobita.

Nobita (pretending to be embarrassed) : ''Hmm...indeed, it's a tough problem !''

Terrorist (laughing sneeringly) : ''You gonna have to kill m...'', he says before Nobita knocks him out with his armor's robotic hand...

Nobita : ''Problem solved. Next !''

The first terrorist witnessed the scene and isn't as stupidly pretentious than his pal, and he doesn't want to end up like him. He shows Nobita his most submissive facial expression to be sure he won't be mad at him, and obeys all his orders...Nobita's got a nice surprise for his _"friends"_ !

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	16. A Feeling Of Discontent

**Chapter 16 : A Feeling Of Discontent**

''Goddamn it ! If only I had those...How did he call it, already ?...The '_Story Badges_' ? Those things you can put on your body and you'll live the adventure of the one the badge's story is about ? It sure would be great, I'd pick up a story of someone winning, and I'd bring this crappy absurd adventure to an end right over ! […] Oooh Nobita, won't you stop dreaming your own life one day ?...''

Nobita knows dreaming won't make his situation better ; he will have more chance to possibly obtain anything if he keeps his feet on the ground and goes on without letting his sorrow misleading his thoughts and his growing anger carrying him away. For the nth time, he summons up all his strength and steps forward straight into the darkness of the unknown...Even though he's the first one to be aware of the incoming hardships we'll be through there !

But he's resolutely decided to face them and prove himself that, for his mother, his father, his friends, his fellow human beings that all deserve to live, he can do it...

Nobita is quite surprised, (and a bit worried) about the lack of resistance or any kind of aggression attempts against him...Has he already killed everyone in there ? Or his he heading to another deadly trap ? But the strange environments he's moving through are an even bigger source of bewilderment, and questioning...

Nobita walks along through various places that really arouse stupefaction and bafflement in his mind :

After opening an emergency escape door, curious about the strong putrid smell of dampness emanating from behind it. He then finds himself in an odd complex underground cavity system. To go further, he needs to weave in and out between the huge rocks that previously fell and are almost blocking the narrow paths on the sheer and rugged steep slopes of some underground gorges, which's bottom sinks to the depths of a dark chasm. Nobita walks on very carefully, balancing on his legs between the gorgeside and the edges of this vertiginous abyss, probably of hundreds of meters in depth, trying not to gaze down...

As he looks at the cliffs on the opposite side of the gorges, he barely sees some odd stone-made structures, a bizarre mix of old architecture dating back from Antiquity and ancient Egypt constructions, with a hint of futuristic-like technologies, some sorts of giant towers covered in neon-like lights and organic-made roots and structure patterns. In other words, a quite unexpected, atypical and medieval touch in this so esthetically modern and technologically advanced world.

Nobita can distinguish a big pile of explosives, drill bits, tons of dynamite, extractors, stone high-capacity crushers, batteries-powered mining robots and pulverizators, ultrasonic machines producing vibrations to fracture and cause the tough rock to break. There's no doubt that Nobita is currently in an excavation site, like the terrorists are trying to extract a kind of sacred fossilized relic or something like this...

A horribly morbid thoughts come to grip his heart for a short moment : what if this sinister place were actually his future grave ? And what would be the best for him : a huge deep hole, ignored, forgotten and forever buried beneath the Earth...or a traditional grave with a big 'Zero' engraved on his tomb as a trace of his eternal failure ?

He can't chase this lugubrious though from his mind, and he has to wait until being accidentally located by the security sentinels to shape up and refocus on what he's the best at : fleeing, whether from his pursuers or his upcoming ineluctable death...after spending his whole life fleeing his responsibilities and daily problems.

But with one exception making it different from his past : he cannot reject his task on the others and depend on the whims of a naive charitable soul willing to do his job. He's on his own, facing and dealing with himself, his worst problem !

But he doesn't pay attention to his flaws anymore, trying his best to escape from the incoming security guards' vigilance, relentlessly patrolling in the meanders of the complex, and always there in time when it comes to annoying him. He knows what it costs to give in to panic in this kind of situation, and how dangerous it has become to focus too much on his past or the reasons why he's here now. Just the fact to think about his future in negative terms unbalanced him, while he was so watchful so far...

The place is mainly unlighted, and there are only a few lights coming from the fluorescent seaweeds on the rocky gorgesides, along with many vines and creepers high above him, like there's a jungle on the surface with the trees' roots coming down the depths of the Earth. This strange environment makes him feel like he has become an Indiana Jones-like budding explorer, and it quite perturbs him like a fish out of water, especially when he has to climb the cliffs clutching to those creepers to make an escape, under the enemy's fire. He hides under the vegetation covering the rocky walls and barely escape capture again, as the cold dump atmosphere in there affects the drones' thermal detectors.

Nobita : ''Even Superman wouldn't be that lucky ! What's wrong with me ?''

Nobita goes from surprise to surprise, and his attempt to flee this shabby place leads him, once he has finished climbing, near an escape door. He opens it and finds himself...in a phone booth, in the middle of a gigantic sprawling road, so big and floodlit that it must be the main central avenue of an underground megacity, vitrified under a giant glass dome. All the neighboring 'streets', strewn with antigravity motors-driven cars, are all bordered by tall hexagonal-shaped twisted up skyscrapers, constituted by thousands of titan-made slabs, some magnetic bridges with multiples automatic trams moving upon them, and in the background from Nobita's point of view, near downtown, a huge spherical hotel complex built on the mountainside of Mt. Ura, with glass roofs and walls reflecting on the water of an artificial lake, used as a wide aquarium and hosting an underwater catering edifice...

It looks familiar to Nobita and reminds him of his time travels with Doraemon ; he could almost recognize his own descendants' home building. It's just like a whole part of the Futuristic Tokyo from the next century was teleported under the facility, at Nobita's time !

Nobita walks on, very slowly, intrigued to see his grand-grand sons' hometown from the ground, as he's always been used to move above the buildings with his Take Copters, through the heavy traffic of flying transport ships. He hides behind an advertising board and sees a back street establishment that he identifies as a debauched bar, with a somewhat provoking neon sign, from the suggestive striptease pictures. But the advertising board he's hiding behind is a holographic screening, and it disappears instantly when the electricity is cut by the city's watchmen, by order of Nobita's pursuers.

He picks up a brick from a broken graffiti-covered wall and throw it through the bar's window to alert and distract the guards playing poker from the surveillance block behind the bar scenery, allowing him to sneak in.

The guards, visibly spaced out, drunk and drugged, goes back in their private block, thinking their dulled senses are tricking them. As he spies some of their conversations, Nobita learns about a communication center, not far from his position, used as an intermediary relay room between them and their fellow brothers-in-arms fighting to keep their plans secret in their own future time, but more commonly used to spy the Time Patrol's communications and physically send supplies and men to each other.

And it happens to be a vital information for the spying kid, who could possibly take advantage of it and seek for help in the future, possibly contact the Time Police !

But his plans must be modified again, as he's being discovered again after involuntarily bringing down a false whiskey bottle filled with micro spying probes in a moment of distraction. Those nano-technologies were originally supposed to be tested for their resistance in a toxic hostile environment, during a real-life experience of a city under a chemical weapons attack, concealed in those bottles to also test their ability to melt into the landscape.

And since they're still connected to the control center, their emergency locators are turned on and warns everyone of Nobita's presence.

Hunted down by the security and threat-exterminating drones, Nobita runs toward a cave he thinks will bring him back into the deep crevasse cavity, where he could hide underneath the vegetation again, but instead leads him straight into a dead-end trap. Where the cave ends, there's nothing but a great massive stalagmite-shaped block of crystal, with blue and violet-colored flowers all around, tree branches with purple leaves and mushroom glandes emerging from the cavern-sides. Some strange fluorescent fruit garlands are hung up to the branches.

But, in a curiosity drive, touches the Cristal...and gives back a glowy brilliance to it thanks to his powers !

Ill-at-ease about this fantasy-like magic cave he has just found randomly, Nobita feels like the Cristal is attempting to communicate with him. Some blurred pictures are scrolling in his mind, showing some psychedelic unnatural forms dancing erratically in a fantasy landscape...the one where he was briefly sent during one of his daydream !

Maybe it's a battery that he has just powered up, a relay to restore his powers or a portal to travel in other dimensions. Nobita let himself being 'dragged' by this unknown force that progressively takes possession of his body and changes him into a bright flash of pure energy.

Nobita hears the guards running after him and loading their guns, filled with anesthetic darts ordnances, but he feels a terribly intense shock rocking him like a hurricane and a wild trembling seizing his heart and soul...and he finally vanishes away, erased from the perplexed guards' vision field as they incredulously watch their enemy that they were about, at last, to capture, disappearing once again ! [...]

They don't know where he has gone, Nobita neither. But the latter quickly realizes that he is now in another section of the complex, more precisely just in front of a huge neon indication board, the perfect good news he would need to clear his mind and (re)focus on his main goal. He finds the position of the time-communicating relay and rushes there as fast as he can. He doesn't care about what has just happened to him, now used to paranormal things occurring along his actions..

For the first time, he doesn't pay attention to the cameras, probably thinking he has reached the end of the road to his objective, and his now firmly determined to trigger a big bad disorder and play out his trouble-making brat role once again to push his enemies to the limit and flush them out of their bolt holes, like a man gives a kick in an anthill and spray into a wasp nest.

But he still has to get there alive, and that complex is still chock-full of secrets, and many various hostile obstacles that go beyond what he could expect. But Nobita is determined to force through those barriers, whatever they are, as he feels so close to the end...

Nobita crosses a messed laboratory and catches a brief glimpse of his gun's distorted reflect in the glass pane of a ventilated panel. He then has the reflex to check how much ammo he has left, and notes with dismay that he's only got one half-loaded magazine left, only with a few rounds of ammo. And the only other ''weapon'' he could use is a glue pistol covered with dust, the edge of which jut out from under a shelf.

Though he has recently become prone to suicidal actions, Nobita isn't willing to rush headstrong straight into the lion's den, into the next trap the terrorists will surely be setting for him on his way to his goal, nor to engage in an all-out fight without safeguarding or enough resources.

But he is in a hurry anyway, and randomly picks up a vial on a genetic-modification lab bench containing a purple chemical highly-sulfated effervescent product, without having the least idea of what it will be use for, hoping the next enemy shall be a heavily-armed guard, not difficult to defeat, the perfect occasion to ''refuel''.

As he's about to leave the lab to rush the communication quarters, the security system suddenly restarts. Some turrets are armed, burst from the roof and take aim at Nobita, who drops his vial in panic. A massive suffocating purple thick smoke cloud rises from the broken vial and spread through the corridor, leaving Nobita a few seconds to run backward and hide, back into the lab, as the microscopic particles are interfering with the turret's detectors

It's not the first time he comes to face a turret, with their heavy fire and their armor-piercing lasers, and he takes shelter behind a fume cupboard that he hopes will be strong enough to block the artillery fire. But one shot hits the air depurator and destroys it. Nobita is then alerted by his armor's detectors :

Armor : ''Alert ! Dangerous gas detected. Analyzing...This poured gaseous mixture is constituted of particles are similar to the volcanic ashes thrust out by an erupting explosive-type volcano. Once ingested by an organism, they become saturated and soaked with the dampness from respiratory airways and digestive tracts, and turn into a suffocating cement. They will slowly block the air from entering your lungs and bronchus and kill you from inside. ALERT ! Potential risk detected. Emergency protocol required. Activation of protection filter highly-recommended. You may already be feeling the first detrimental effects of the gas and choke on...''

Nobita : ''Oh, SHUT UP ! Thanks for warning me, but I'd appreciate not to know too much details about my death !''

Nobita has to react fast enough to protect himself from his own mistake, all while having to bypass the security system to avoid the torrential rain of bullets.

Nobita : ''At last, I'M doing a mistake ! Was 'bout time !''

But Nobita is offered an unexpected break : the turrets' power-supplying batteries and cooling ventilators are obstructed by the gas, and an automatic self shut-off emergency algorithm is activated to avoid an explosion due to overheating.

Nobita gets closer, as the toxic cloud vanishes into the air, start to run forward...et comes eyeball to eyeball with a terrorist in the corridor in front of him, while we was sucking up the gas with his biotechnological prostheses. They violently bump into each other at full force, and mutually bruise their head when they collide.

The enemy man is surrounded by a force shield that repulses Nobita back to the ground, but the latter is the first to open fire with laser mini-rifle his armor is equipped with, but the energy shots are absorbed and neutralized by the man's shield, who shrieks with laughter while showing off the advanced artificial replacements of half of his body, raises his arms, bundling a strong concentration of toxic semi-liquid into the gas pulverizer transplanted in the palm of his right hand, and sprays a corrosive aerosol toward Nobita.

The panicked kid has just enough time to use his armor for the last time, by turning on the strength- amplifying reactors in his robotized legs to give the terrorist a strong-enough kick to pierce through his protective shield and thrust him back against a wall.

In extremis, Nobita struggles out of his eroded armor, melting like an ice cream under a burning sun, and finally dissolves completely. Nobita has just narrowly averted a horrible slow death...

His enemy has just recuperated and regained his senses, strolls up to Nobita in a a blithe way, while the latter vainly press the trigger of his empty gun, feeling over the moon to be about to finally defeat the "One", convinced that he will walk it easily...

Terrorist : ''It's useless to point this ridiculous prehistorical thing at me, you're doomed and in a serious s*** !'', yells the man as he points a laser automatic rifle to Nobita in turn, a weapon he somewhat cobbled, modified, improved and adapted into a powerful shoulder-mounted Gatling gun-like Vulcan rotary cannon :

Man : ''Reminds you some memories, right ? Do you recognize it ? It's the weapon you were holding when you messed up the powder storeroom you took shelter in before you dared to penetrate inside the factory sector ! I made up a super great toy out of this, more funny and more stylish ! When I say 'toy', it's not something brats like you can play with, but a freakishly awesome state-of-the-art killer, and I'm going to empty one ammunition belt on each centimeter of your skin ! And thanks for leaving your...well one of OUR weapons you stole behind you ! I could successfully scan your fingerprints, and the base's bio-detectors led me straight to you, thanks to those precious data YOU contributed to give to me ! No bad, hmm ? The only thing left was to set a trap for you !''

Nobita's imminent death whips him into a wild frenzy, and he slips into the shoes of his long-lost friend Doraemon for a moment, as a freaked-out Nobita pulls out all his gadgets from his pocket all the same time. The incredulous man can't help himself bursting out laughing, and seized by his uncontrollable hilarity, he lowers his guard and forgets to switch on his force shield that he previously turned off to trigger his corrosive attack :

Terrorist (laughing out loud) : ''What a fool ! Stop flapping around like this, or I'll suffer a heart attack ! I won't even have the pleasure to kill you !''

Nobita : ''I won't let you enjoy this !''

Terrorist (drawing out an energy blade from his iron wrist) : ''Yet you have the head of someone about to die !''

Nobita : ''But you don't have the head of the one who will kill me !''

The terrorist suddenly stops laughing and winces abominably, as he sees his target pulling out...a water pistol ! He takes aim, but it's too late : Nobita shoots and he gush of water come to hit his hybrid weapons and robotic implants destructively, causing an all-out current short-circuit. A powerful and painful shock wave shakes him forcibly, leaving him collapsing on the ground, half-knocked out.

Benumbed and crippled, the inert terrorist watches Nobita approaching his trembling body, glaring at him with a deceitfully relaxed look. Nobita can't help himself savoring his victory, and sit down on the sluggish man's body, pulls his ears and then lifts up the man's unmoving head by pulling his hair up, almost strangling him, and shows off his water pistol to his passive eyes, keeping them wide open for him to see well :

Nobita : ''Reminds you some memories, right ? Do you recognize it ? It's plastic-made water toy pistol, something that was never used to make war...not until today ! […] Yeah man, I'm maybe not an expert in "cybertechnologies" and many other futuristic stuffs like you and your pals are, but I was recently forced to learn how to manage and survive with limited means...You, and your awful mania to always try your best to look like living machines, with all your implants..._State-of-the-art_ ? I'd rather say "_State-of-stupidness_" ! What do you think about it ? Not bad for a prehistoric thing, hmm ? […] This is definitely a bad day for bad guys, today !''

Terrorist (shaking and trembling in pain, laid on the floor and ready to vomit) : ''You...are strong...I...I'm disgusted, I had...just found you...You can't...''

Nobita : ''Defeated by a water pistol, what an humiliation ! You are such a fool, and so predictable ! If she were still alive, even my Grandmother would beat you without difficulty !''

Terrorist : ''Not as foreseeable as you think, you dirty rat ! You'll travel in hell with me !''

Nobita can't stop the weakened but enraged terrorist from using his last remaining strength to suddenly cower. He doesn't realize the gravity of this sudden, apparently nonsensical motion, but then takes to his heels and runs away as fast as he can, after hearing a 'Beep'. The man, in a desperate action, and as a last stand against his enemy, has just activated his armor's self-destruction function, and when the micro-bomb placed under his synthetic skin detonates, a massive explosion rocks the corridor and throws the running kid on the floor...

Nobita gets up as fast as he fell, and flees again in a rush, eager to leave this hellish place far behind him...

Nobita : ''I was not far from it...Geez, what a job, being bad definitely sucks ! When I think some people do it all day long...[...] Anyway, I've almost been killed this time, only because I couldn't help showing off and saying bullshits only to celebrate my victory over that guy ! I don't want to become like them, I need to put myself together. Since being happy weakens me, I must think about something sad to be serious again, it shouldn't be too difficult ! Crap, I'm a true walking contradiction !''

But he takes the wrong way, and comes face-to-face with the turrets...which are statics and inactive again ! He realizes the terrorist was the one behind this as well.

And while thinking twice about it, he remembers the man's words : he used the base's security detectors to locate and trap him ! It means that his enemies are slowly, but surely retaking control of the complex...He must hurry if he wants to have a chance against them !

On his way to the communication room, he ears a patrol of trigger-happy worked-up human soldiers, looking confused and worried, survivors of the bloody human-robots heated conflict. He quickly sticks his mini-dora pocket, ejected from his armor during his previous confrontation and unaffected by the corrosive gas, on his tummy.

He lost all his gadgets when he panicked, but not his ideas. He detaches the pocket from his tee-shirt, bends over, slips his legs in it, followed by all his body. Since they have more important things to do than checking the good state of the facility and were not engaged as cleaners, and perturbed by the unbearable sound of all the alarms, the patrol passes by without noticing it...

Nobita escaped it again !

Nobita : ''I shall have to 'thank' my buddy Toshio for this delightful stay in Hell !''

**[...Meanwhile, in Taikan's HQ...]**

Since the beginning of the nuclear crisis and the conflict with Nobita, the terrorist leader is reaching his highest level of fear and concern ever. He feels more and more preoccupied and angry, revealing his most detestable and heinous behavior when he comes to face a major problem. He trembles like a fever-gripped ill child, going through an overwhelming stress and having already drunk a whole sea of intense coffee to calm his excited nerves...

It radically changes him from his usually relaxed-looking attitude and his daily happy humor and playful mood. And even his henchmen worry about him, but more because this normally so charismatic, intimidating and forbidding master seems to be losing control, and therefore shakes the very foundations of the terrorist organization : is it still possible to rely on their leader to ensure the group's unity ? Isn't their Lord not as powerful as he pretends to be ? Shouldn't he be reacting like someone who can solve any problem, like a real God would ?

The men are more than uncertain about their own fate and keeping thinking there plans are infallible has become difficult. And this huge overwhelming tension grasping Taikan's mind makes its way into his men's hearts, in the form of a terrible anguish that pushes them to the limit, and on the verge of despair.

And when one of Taikan's soldier and most reliable relative comes to announce him the latest (bad) news, insisting on this decision to eliminate Nobita his Lord should have made for a long time, and strongly emphasizing the problem of their heavy casualities, something that Taikan doesn't feel concerned about, the latter blows a fuse and severely tells him off. But the insubordinate man holds on and relentlessly dwells on the matter :

Man : ''Sir, the soldiers has got enough now ! You should seriously think about getting rid of him !''

Taikan : ''Keep bothering me and you shall be the one I will get rid of !''

Man (angry) : ''Then, you can get rid of all your henchman, because they are all on the brink of general mutineer, and on the very edge of giving up !''

Taikan (furious) : ''No one is allowed to talk to me like...''

Man : ''I'm not the one you have to repeat that f***** order again, but to all your troops ! And they aren't willing to listen to you anymore...almost !''

Taikan is completely stunned by this challenging penetrating look on his man's facial expression. First, it started with a lonely brat that challenged him to kill him, and now his own men are turning against him. Would that brat be progressively inspiring and breathing revolt into his soldiers' minds ?

Taikan (revolted) : ''NO WAY ! It's impossible ; they can't be ! They are serving me, they should be happy to die to protect me !''

Man (disgusted) : ''That's clearly obvious !''

Taikan : ''WHAT ?''

Man : ''That you never went at war and never fought on a battlefield ! Just go spending some time among those brave soldiers that are giving their lives for you currently ! And maybe, I say maybe, a part of the definitions of the words 'respect' and 'gratefulness' will get to your mind !''

Taikan is so outraged but what can he do ? Draw his gun and shoot his man down to punish this lack of respect ? In front of all his pals ?

Man (suspecting a change of opinion in his Lord's mind) : ''And one more thing, SIR : the boy was reported hiding in a sector of the ventilation, according to our detectors. But the reasons why are still obscure. Oh and, several of our patrol leaders are reported missing, along with their battalions. And we also learned about some scuffles and skirmishes in the factory sectors, but we have no confirmation of Nobita's implication in those ; there's more chance these to be the doing of a malfunctioning robot or an accid...''

Taikan : ''Nobita ? Who is Nobita ?''

Man : ''The troublemaker's name. We've just got it by hacking the files of Tokyo's town hall, it was among the birth certificates..We couldn't tell you before, because it was strangely long to do !''

Taikan : ''Why was it so long ?''

Man : ''I was coming to this point : What worries us the most is that all these informations I've just delivered to you about Nobita's actions have just arrived ; it's really too late for a message which dates back from several hours ago, according to the metadata ! There surely is a mysterious dysfunction problem with the communications, or a malware infection, because we also lost contact with...''

Taikan (gripped with a sudden fear) : ''Wait a f****** second ! That boy, Nobita...I've just remembered what you've told me before, about his detected presence in the ventilation...He is STILL in the Boiler Room, it's right on my screens ! What the...HELL is that bullshit ? How can he be in two places at once ? He cannot be ubiquitous, as far as I know ! If he really has the gift of being everywhere at once, we will get a good drilling !''

Man : ''In fact, we were expecting you to answer this question...''

Taikan : ''How am I supposed to know ? I'm not a...GOD ?! OH F*** it !'', he yells to himself, worrying himself sick...

Taikan finally becomes aware of the seriousness and the depth of the situation, realizing that the threat he's dealing with is far more tenacious than anticipated, with the dangerous effect of profoundly upsetting him. Furthermore, he knows (what Nobita doesn't) that the ventilation is the only unprotected, trapped or watched place out there, the only way to possibly reach him, a weakness point he didn't have the time to fix when the terrorists came to invade the place.

He loses patience, his trust in his security system as well, and decides to make use of his emergency frequency of his private radio, and sends a message that is repeated and broadcasted throughout the whole complex :

Taikan : ''My dear friends, I think you all know that an intruder crept into the base and is now hiding among us. He didn't receive any invitation and is certainly under the required age to be allowed to see what's going on here. It's up to you boys, to do your duty, to rectify and find a solution to this troublesome unwanted element, and to make sure this undesired nuisance will be incapacitated and definitely put him out of harm's way. Speed things up, time is running out ! The intruder was located in the ventilation network, 48b5-0 sector, near the weapon factory number six. Please act accordingly and without losing time. Let's teach that young insolent brat a good education lesson ! Do NOT disappoint your Lord !''

As the message comes to an end, Nobita watches through the lock of a door he hid behind, and sees all the guards, who are barely starting to recover, count their deaths and treat the wounded, as the robot-human war is reaching a status quo. Everyone looks at each other with an appalled and dismayed expression : why is there Lord only caring for one single kid while half of his army is destroyed ? Why does he come to show interest in his men only know ? And why on Earth is he talking in present about things that occurred several hours ago ?

And the concerned one, on his side, is rather satisfied...

Nobita : ''That's what I thought...Mr. Terrorist Leader, you fell right into my trap ! Now, beware the consequences !''

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	17. The Trapper Trapped

**Chapter 17 : The Trapper Trapped**

The situation grows more critical in Taikan's HQ. After being informed about the evolution of the tragic occurring events in his own complex base, the latter is more and more ill-at-ease and doubtful, questioning himself about his ability to handle such an unexpected dramatic hardship, and wonders if he wasn't foolishly cheated on, somehow...

An awful silence prevails in his control room, nobody dares to say a word ; even the weakest vibration could make him jolt out of his skin...But it's only the start of a dreadful nightmare !

Indeed, another one of his men storms in the room like rock singer armed with a jackhammer makes a devastating entry in a cathedral during prayer time. He didn't even receive the permission from his Lord to appear before him, breaking all the security rules. His unforeseen and catastrophic arrival frightens Taikan, the so-called immortal and unwavering God, who is quite embarrassed to show this typical 'human' aspect, as it overcomes him. But a true feeling of horror grips his guts when the panicked soldier yells about some awful news at full speed, without catching his breath :

Man (breathless) : ''Sir...Nobita's been seen in the factory sector, some ***Gaps*** thermal detectors caught sight of him red-handed fiddling around ; we've got confirmation of it ! But it seems that since his passing through, an increase in ***Gaps*** the activation of fire alarms, call of emergency medical robotic teams and use of air conditioning systems and heat-pumps ***Gaps*** was recorded, along with many traces of blazes and heavy damages in all the structures there. There were also many earthquakes and tremors detected by the seismographs, probably resulting from explosions ! ***Gaps*** But we can't react, nor contact the men there, nor seen where the problem is...It could be the apocalypse now, or a zombie virus, we just can't f***** know about it ! We're blind ! ***Gaps***''

Taikan feels a terribly cold shiver tearing off his spine, piercing down his back and prickling his head. He's now sure that the indications on his screens are either wrong, false or not updated...or the combination of these three eventualities ! Nobita left the Boiler room ages ago, currently, and nobody is able to affirm where he could be possibly hiding or what kind of machination he could be plotting on his own..

As if he hadn't already enough trouble, another freaked-out man bursts in, in disregard of the protocol and ethic rules imposed by his hierarchy once again. Like the previous one, no one blocked him from entering nor warned Taikan of his arrival, and it might suggest that there's no more guards outside to protect him no more. Everybody deserted...or else, Nobita has already killed them and will be the next one to run in ! His growing paranoia weakens him to the point of almost admiring that he could be defeated by a kid, that he identifies as the Devil himself.

Taikan doesn't understand why he didn't notice all of this earlier, with all the heartbeat and tension detectors he had installed throughout his base, so that every of his bodyguards remains in their positions and in operable condition, ready to fight for their leader in case a threat would show up. If anyone of them is neutralized or killed, he should be the first one alerted. Or else...

He draws his personal gun, ready to shoot at his own men, feeling an intense fear gripping him, fed by the insecurity and deadly silence all around him.

And much to his surprise, his men instinctively draw their weapons in turn, as a defense reflex, with anger filling their tormented eyes, resulting from an intense fear grasping them. From now on, the Law of the Jungle's reign starts and everyone is ready to fight for his own life. For Taikan, who was convinced that his soldiers were ''slaves'' to his control and devoted to him with their souls and hearts, it's not quite reassuring...

Only the last man who has entered the room still shows his master some respect, as he hesitates for a while before talking to his Lord, ignoring the risk he (thinks he) takes by opening his mouth without permission. But his superior is much too stupefied and tormented, his back to the wall, to kick up a fuss about those futile ethical formalities, while a potentially deadly threat is roaming outside...

Man 2 (completely dazed and panicked) : ''SIR...This is a widespread panic everywhere ! The Death Gas with released, it's spreading everywhere ; the men are getting insane ! We came under fire and two of us were fatally shot dead, in cold blood, and our own allies are responsible for this massacre ! I was supposed to bring you a team of competent network technicians and anti-hacking engineers, our best ones !

But we needed more than 20 minutes to reach you, since all transports are OT, and we met with no one to receive us here ; where the hell are the ones supposed to keep you safe ? When it's not a warfare battleground, this place is as deserted as a wasteland ! It has become more dangerous for us to simply walk in a hallway out there than running toward an anti-terrorist cops brigade with explosives strapped to your belt ! […] My Lord, for mercy, what's going on ?''

Taikan is overwhelmed ! He's deeply perturbed ; his position as a leader is still obvious to his man, but he's nevertheless unable to find a solution to this predicament, looking as lost and confused than his henchmen. He would normally choose to have these two men shot down right away to avoid those informations to go out, but he doesn't, as he paradoxically is the last one to learn them and needs all available (and faithful) men to ensure his own survival, a situation he has never been into before.

He becomes aware that the situation is entirely beyond remedy and he's slowly losing his grip. He's probably the victim of a grotesque, but deceitful manipulation...A horrible presentiment shakes his mind, but he's much too afraid that it may be true...

But now that he's thinking it over, there's no real confirmation of Nobita's actual location, and he remembers that he previously ordered all his soldiers to search for his enemy in the vent pipes, based on the fake informations his cracked security system gave him.

Assuming that some of his men may have heard his message, survived the general chaos outside and decided to follow his instructions, the eventuality that he possibly sent them into the wrong place comes to his mind. It could even be a trap, or a treacherous diversion attempt from Nobita...

Taikan feels a bit reassured when he finally sees the engineers team coming into the control room, bending over and bowing deeply. If Taikan had a heart and a bit more consideration for the rest of the world, other than himself, he would certainly show how grateful he is toward those courageous men who remained faithful to him...Well, that's what he thinks !

Taikan (faking a vexed mood to keep looking dominant) : ''It was about time ! What a shame to let your Lord waiting for his servants to get their butts here !''

Engineer (displeased) : ''We're deeply sorry, dear Lord ! But we have a vexed problem out there ! We lost contact with the second team, and two of us were mortally wounded by fratricides shots, probably stray bullets ! And only they knew the security codes to access the central security system from your terminal !''

Taikan (puzzled) : ''Why do you need my private control room to understand how the security network YOU made up works ?''

Engineer : ''Because all the others doesn't ! And you are the only one of sound mind left ! Insanity has taken control of everyone's mind out there ; they all think you're dead and that they were hung out to dry and abandoned to a tragic fate ! Some talk about a surprise Time Police attack, others about 'Judgment Day'...or even an appearance of the Devil himself ! Sir, I have a sinking feeling 'bout it ! The violence outbreak may cost us all our lives, including you ! We need your cooperation if we want to figure it out and give you a chance to keep things under control before it's too late !''

Taikan is outraged to be forced to 'roll up his sleeves' and do his part like this scientist asks him to. And the truth is the engineers themselves, with their reddish eyes and extremely sensitive skin covered with sweat, are infected with the gas, though they ingested only some moderate doses of it. There's no other solution : he opens up access to his terminal.

The engineers work hard, for dozen of minutes, with only the jingling of the machines around them giving rhythm to their work and the slamming sounds of Taikan's trembling clinking fingers to kill time stressing them out...

They finally discover that the problem's origin is a computer virus affecting and paralyzing the system, successfully introduced in the network after the firewall was scrambled. The databases are reported corrupted.

Taikan is speechless : What's left of the weapon prototype models, the attack plans, the tactical data ?

But the neurons in his exhausted brains really start to fuss over when Taikan is informed that the source of the hacking comes from...the Boiling Room ! Someone used a computer to accomplish this task, connecting to the electric network and the security system from there !

The engineers, not aware of what happened in that place, don't understand why it gives rise to awe in their master's mind. They feel like he's ready to cry out fearfully. They fear the worst, fear his potential reaction if they fail...and fear for their lives !

They make numerous attempts to bypass the virus, in vain. They are forced to use the auxiliary power generator supplying the control room, causing some micro power shutdowns. It clearly annoys their Lord, and time flies...

But they are luckier than expected and are able to retake control, but only of the screens, cameras and sound captors.

At this precise moment, the pictures shown on the screens are switched, scrolling in all directions over and over again, fading in and out...and are back to live again ! Taikan's first reflex is to check throughout his complex for traces of Nobita. A suspect has been identified in the Boiler Room, tinkering with the machines and doing suspicious things...

Taikan recognizes him as the masked mechanical man who was locked with Nobita when the latter escaped, and was of a predominant help when Nobita played his ''false magic trick'' to fool the guards. He was the one controlling the spotlights and producing numerical sounds to create a scenery with complex visual effects, while Nobita was showing off and displaying his performing skills as a fake God...just like Taikan !

But contrary to him, it worked efficiently and spread fear in the guards' hearts, giving them enough time to turn the situation around...and win the fight before it even started !

A moment of clarity comes to Taikan's senses : he searches and finds the virtual video tapes containing the pictures shot during the last 24 hours, and relentlessly replays the section showing Nobita's 'Performance' :

The first time he saw this, it was a live action scene and he was so passionate that he forgot to keep an eye on the 'Actors'. And since this staging was hatched as a lure to delude Taikan's army, but also Taikan himself. The overwhelming amount of special effects and parasite noise successfully allowed them to act secretly while the surveillance system was affected. It's more than obvious that meanwhile, Nobita and the Mechanical, or at least one of them, had the time to hack the electrical and computer network from a distance, without running the risk of being caught in the act.

They could then introduce fake pictures previously shot in Taikan's terminal, played in a loop continuously, tricking him into thinking everything was alright and going the way he wanted, while they blithely enjoyed to sabotage his whole security system and wreak havoc as much as they wanted !

This ''cover'' left Nobita without oversight from the terrorists, free to act, do and say whatever he wanted ! He traversed the base, leaving a path of destruction behind him, slowing the terrorists' actions down, foiling their plans, blocking their communications and transports, throwing out the base's defenses, now vulnerable and exposed to radar detection while being withdrawn and cut off from the rest of the world...!

All the instructions Taikan sent, in the meantime, to his soldiers responsible for the hostage-taking attack in Tokyo's stock exchange, to his allies in their secret fallback bases all around the world...Maybe they never received them, and Taikan totally ignores about how the situation evolved there...

He's still got the control of the atomic bomb, and can activate it from any position on Earth from any distance. But he doesn't know if his men are still there or if they failed, if the bomb was found out, if it already blew, if the Japanese Army ordered a general assault, if the terrorists were captured, killed or fled away, worried about Taikan's lack of communication...The operation may already be a complete failure !

Taikan hears some deaf noises near his HQ, only faded by the thick armored walls. He's curious about the flashes of lights and vivid colors he can distinguish through his screens. Some pictures are twitchy, jerky...some other shows no signals ! Taikan analyzes them carefully and observes the scenes with his two eyes wide open, and what he sees makes him the privileged witness of the monstrous messy guerrilla putting his base to fire and the sword :

The patrols sent to bring back a fragile semblance of order, and still searching for Nobita, are only welcomed by a heavy rain of bullets and savagely assaulted by a wild band of animal-like primitive-minded beasts who's got nothing relating them to human civilization anymore.

As he anxiously follows one of the surviving rescue team while it forces its way through that no man's land, Taikan helplessly watches the degradations and damages Nobita left behind him.

Like his collection hangar, formerly a huge museum filled with state-of-the-art technologies, high-technologies, vintage cars, high-tech weapons and rare and precious wonders ; all of this was destroyed and demolished completely. Or even his personal secret laboratory, built under the cold water of an underground lake ; the prototype of 'Resurrecting Machine' was smashed to pieces during the massive flooding triggered by Nobita himself...

And even in the rare places spared by the gas outpourings, anarchy reigns :

The surviving men are vigorously fighting against the remaining robots, the ones endowed with reason and conscience, who are about to raise the mining and factory-working machines against the lasting resistance to crush it down, while the humans voluntary break the dams on the underground rivers to short-circuit their electricity-powered enemies...

They don't have their Lord to impose them to overcome their inner tensions and distrust toward each other to work together, bring them to their senses and dictate their actions.

He tries to spy one of the conversations between the robots leaders during en emergency tactical meeting in a makeshift bunker...and discovers that the major part of them think that their leader is dead, after Nobita destroyed the fake Terrorist Head-Quarters, where even Taikan's men thought their leader was, in the context of Taikan's personal cat-and-mouse game with his enemy. He purposely kept them unaware of this originally unpredicted project and maintained them in a state of total ignorance about this dangerous sadistic game. And this lack of communication caused a wide misunderstanding that is now backfiring at him...

The whole place has become a war zone, a bloodbath battlefield, like an action scene from a science-fiction movie is being shot there. Taikan's own army is divided up, as all its elements are breaking apart and killing each other. Every man who wasn't the victim of the terrible fratricide human/robot blitzkrieg-like extermination war is now enchanted and enraged by the Death Gas, hunting down the rare one who still aren't affected.

For the first time, Taikan realizes how it feels to see all his efforts, many years of unremitting work, wiped out, like a lightning strikes a verdant plentiful forest, burned by an unstoppable blaze, a fire fed by the insanity and hatred that Taikan maintained and nurtured in his men's hearts. Those men, former brothers-in-arms, are now on the verge of self-annihilation.

Taikan's plans, which were so smooth-running and unerring to him, slowly collapse under his horrified eyes, as he helplessly watches is own army burning from inside. The only things he still doesn't know about are the mysterious powers Nobita holds, as all the surveillance systems, monitoring controls, cameras and recorders were fully razed before they could record anything when Nobita made use of a power, whatever it was...

Taikan (unspeakably furious) : YOU...F****** brat ! You tricked me in my back, you bastard ! YOU...''

Taikan is so mad and flipping his lid that he sees out the scientists team and sends them off his HQ, threatening to have them hung upside down above a vat of melted iron if they insist..

But it's more of a real godsend for those poor overworked men, who's only wish was to run away far from this nightmare and being dismissed from protecting this monster. They do not hang on to their task and slip away...

Taikan feels lost, and his anger won't bring back he has lost by his own fault. The only thing left to do for him...is to have a first and real contact with his enemy, just to (try to) know how he managed to double-cross him...if Nobita is willing to ! He checks his contact list on the servers of his terminal and finds the best frequency code he needs to reach Nobita's radio, that he still holds with him in his magic pocket since he picked it up on one of the first guard he knocked out during his escape...

He immediately talks to him without thinking twice about what he's going to say. He's so self-confident that he cannot even imagine that this surprise call from him did not scare Nobita, who was somewhat expecting it.

He started the conversation with a dominant voice tone, supposed to both impress and make Nobita believe that the terrorist leader has got everything under control and knows where Nobita is. But his reaction is totally at the opposite of what he was expecting :

Taikan (fierce mad tone) : ''What have you done ?! This is not how it was supposed to happen !''

Nobita (teasing childish tone) : ''NOOO, reeeeeeallly ? It's kind of you to come and speak with me, I was feeling a bit lonely ! So, what's up ?''

Taikan (confused) : ''W..What ?''

Nobita : ''Yes, man, I was expecting your call, and I must say it's about time !''

Taikan (offended) : ''You...So insolent ! D...Don't play that cheeky game with me !''

Nobita : ''You can stick your goddamn game up your nose, you thickheaded twat ! And you have a real nerve talking about games, you, who's playing with my life and taking me for a chess pawn from the very beginning !''

Taikan : ''How can...So you knew about it, hmm ?! You knew I was intentionally keeping you alive and testing you !''

Nobita : ''And you only realize it now ?...Yes, I did understand quite early that you were just playing with my nerves, my life, and the ones of millions of people. But you were so self-confident and absorbed by your voyeuristic game that you didn't suspect, even considered that I could actually know about it ! And when I was 'clowning around' while playing that improvised crazy, stupid and childish piece of theater in front of your foolish men in the Boiler Room, you were so distracted that we took advantage of it, me and a good 'acquittance' of mine who is very skilled when it deals with technologies, to hack your network, and turn your own game against yourself !''

Taikan : ''So that was it ; you sidetracked me !''

Nobita (scornfully) : ''Well, that's good, a hint of intelligence finally springs out inside your brain ; you're waking up and emerging, back to reality, at last ! Yeah, I'm the anomaly, the glitch, the origin for all the problems you're just starting to deal with ! All the mess in your factory, it was me ! When I think that you was credulous enough to believe that I was actually in the air vents, basing on your detectors whereas the area was full of Death Gas, I can't help feeling extremely disappointed to see there's someone actually worse than me in being naive !

And when I realize that you could actually be slow enough to need so many time to understand what was going on, that you remained inactive and captivated by those so badly done, quickly-shuffled not-so-realistic looping video fragments, as reactive as a rotten vegetable, your butt stuck to your golden stick like a fat chips-eater geek video game player...I'm laughing so hard that I could make my own ears explode ! Even I would not need that much time to understand that I was fooled !''

Taikan : ''So, you...had anticipated everything ?''

Nobita : ''20/20, congratulations ! I know, it's not my kind to be smart enough to think over the future, but I did an exception just for you ! With all those deadly barriers I had to cross, all these dangers I was forced to fight against, and all those challenges I had to accept to move on...Lost in the middle of an unknown hostile environment, with no allies, no chances to win, no help from the outside and not any knowledge about this place nor what your doing here, thereby considered lost in advance...Like a man suffering from amnesia, having to recover while facing brand new hardships and curiously well-organized increasing waves of enemies that only want you dead or to harm you the most horrible ways possible ever...An epic, sensational, yet terribly dreadful adventure from inside a video game-like war, or an immersion into the darkness of a tyrannical future, with all those technologies around you that you've NEVER seen before...And this strange feeling that there's something wrong, that it looks a bit too clean, too perfectly done, so well-established, so...well almost banal, since you've already seen it a thousand times in adventure movies, but with one single difference : you have become the subject ! […]

I've felt like a jumping jack in a puppet show from the very beginning, but strangely being a triumphing survivor in that world of danger, with a thousand ways to die but no way out, that even the bravest of the brave couldn't stand against...while I'm just a freakish stupid kid, the weakest of the weak, who was not prepared for that, who's life expectancy in this kind of predicament cannot exceed beyond five seconds, and who's mostly infamous for his cowardly attitude and dim-witted plain-looking nature...When you're aware of all those details, you quickly realize that there's something REALLY WRONG !''

Taikan remains speechless facing such an unexpected, well-chosen answer :

Nobita (angry) : ''Yes, my dear friend, I planned everything and the first time I could actually smile and jolt in happiness was just after hacking your cameras, 'cause it was the sign I could, at last, do whatever I wanted without being spied constantly ! But, and I don't know if it will reassure your dumb mind, but it hasn't been without hitting my head against many walls ; I had to improvise and let my imagination rule me if I wanted to survive ! The Death Gas release in MY doing, and it's currently spreading everywhere around ; I won't have to neutralize your men myself no more, since they're doing it themselves for me ! Oh, and I guess you already know that there's nothing left of your fake HQ ! It was a good idea, though not very nice for your poor lil' soldiers, but I should have known you had more than one trick up your sleeve, right ? […]

Oh and, a very last thing : I let you enjoy a little gift I've just sent to your terminal ; just take a look at the very nasty 'crime' I committed before leaving the Boiler Room !''

Taikan wonders how Nobita could gain access to his terminal, the most access-restricted and protected...and unattainable one in the whole world ! But he just remembers what Nobita could achieve during his performance using only a banal computer and basic machines to hack the most secured place ever, and his doubts vanish away.

But there's still something wrong : his terminal wasn't hacked, among the few parts of the main network that weren't. This terminal needs his fingerprint and the eye-detector's approbation to use it. There is only one single place in the base that is allowed to automatically connect to his terminal without his permission...the Time-Communicating Relay Room !

He now remembers about this particular place's function...establishing contacts through time ! Like the Time Patrol, for example...

Gripped with a sudden panic sensation, he vainly tries to establish an emergency inventory of his remaining operational resources in the complex, as well as a brief scan of the base's status. He fears Nobita's message to be a trap, a Trojan horse or a another vicious virus. But his analyze of the base's condition fails, and his attempt to access the holographic map of the complex is declined. He's got only his eyes left to cry, his fear that situation might grow worse...and nothing else to lose !

He gives the terminal's AI his approval to open the contains...and yells in terror :

Taikan : ''WHAT ARE YOU DOING ? But...Don't tell me...HOLY S*** !''

The mysterious content has now been fully downloaded on the Terminal, and Taikan's horrified ears are bombed with a fierce incomprehensible noisy hubbub. The message has been damaged during transfer ; Nobita isn't the best sound engineer in the world neither...

Taikan quickly fixes it by switching the frequency...and bitterly regret that he was able to fix it and hear the real message ! He listens to a conversation that Nobita had...with the Time Police ! The short emergency call is followed by a coded transmission of billions of confidential data !

And to cap it all, Nobita even took the time to shoot a 30-second-long short video, showing him while hacking the security system in the Boiler Room, something he could not see at the time since his surveillance screens' videotapes had already been changed. He's got the ultimate proof that his enemy, that he underestimated from the very beginning, actually succeeded in double-crossing him shamefully. He was completely blind and deaf to his actions, letting him the perfect occasion to act the way he wanted, right underneath his nose !

Taikan (fuming) : ''I kept you alive all this time and you traitorously reveal our position to the police ! So unfair ! You ruined my projects, my life, MY NOBLE CAUSE TO CHANGE THE WORLD !''

Nobita : ''Just repeat that to all the inhabitants of the city you are about to disintegrate into dust ! Seriously, stop pulling my leg ! And concerning your revolting odious disgusting detestable game, the next time, have the kindness to send me an invitation, just out of politeness, you despicable coward !''

Taikan (relentless screams of hatred) : ''You have no suggestions to make, you jerk ! You look tiny and ridiculous...No, you don't even exist compared to me !''

Nobita : ''That's...both true and false ! Indeed, I'm the loser of the century, the best of the worst, a bad underdog and stupid mind. But even I, learned how to love myself more after being locked up just one single day with a retarded bastard like you ! When I think I was always complaining like I was playing Calimeo all day long ; when I see it turned out with you...''

Taikan : ''YOU...DAAAAAAAAAAMN IT, you also destroyed my underwater experimentation station ! And my beloved volunteer who was about to succeed and become the first immortal man in the History of Mankind, what did you do to him ?''

Nobita : ''That...THING, you mean ! You talk about this clumpy sticky disgusting Frankenstein-like creature ? That living pile of rotten flesh, viscous vomit-made zombie with no soul ? I think the word 'guinea pig' would be better appropriate ! I'm sorry, but our last encounter was rather...intense : that living sponge mistook me for a giant baby bottle and tried to suck my blood before unscrewing my head, but I shot this despicable creeping varmint with three clips. And when I saw that this 'bullet colander' wasn't affected and respawned again and again, I let a 'little bit' of water inside to cool him off ! The last time I saw him...well 'it', it looked like a decaying scraggy piece of gruyere cheese, with a thousand tons of debris piercing through his bottom ! And for the lab, let's say I just...slightly redecorated it !''

Taikan (foaming with rage) : '' How dare you mocking and answering me back, again, after all the trouble you caused ?!'

Nobita (threatening) : ''I'M your only trouble now, you fool ! You have only yourself to blame for getting in that crap ! Choosing me as your new scapegoat was a very big mistake !''

Taikan : ''Stop with your bullshits ! You punch above your weight, pretending that the nursling little fool you are could stand at the top playing with the big boys, but you're just worth blowing bubbles in a toddler wading pool ! To my eyes, you are nothing ; even a piece of foul-smelling crappy rubbish has more valor than a thousand brats like you ! You act like a big shot, but your superhero game is so obsolete and run-down ! You should instead dedicate your last instants of life to your will and testament ! I could bump you off at anytime ; your life ceases to exist without me !...And my patience has reached its limits !''

Nobita : ''OH YEAH ? THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR ? But...how silly of me ! If you actually wanted to kill me, I'd be already buried six feet under now, for ages ! The greatly intelligent and brilliant mind you are must have good reason, doesn't he ? […]

But let me clue you in : I don't know if you read the news, although I don't remember if it still exists in the future, but a few days ago, while I was still striding around aimlessly in the streets of Tokyo, I picked up a newspaper with an article about me written in it, appearing on the cover page, another triviality in this world where so many bad things happen everyday, always given the priority over good, less interesting things...This article, that was unexpectedly hitting the headlines, was about my latest wrongdoing...I had left home ! Why ? Because I was weak, stupid and doomed to fail and die...I'm sure you were so happy the the only being crazy enough to stand in your way was such a loser...But since, things have changed...and for the first time in my life, it evolved positively ! I became stronger, more reactive and motivated...On the other hand, I wasn't given the choice, and I lost everything I had and cherished, like my home, my friends, my family and my life...well, I'm going to lose it soon ! […]

You made the mistake of pestering me at the only moment you shouldn't have, and you're already paying for it ! So, if I were you, I would call a nurse, two or three ambulances, contact a funeral director and visit another one of those impostor psychic readers to give yourself the chance to read into your future and try to avoid a tragic fate, 'cause YOU are my next target ! I'm going to come and beat you up, in your own HQ, and give you a severe pounding for each bullet I had to shoot ! You wanted to toy with me, but you took action at the only moment in my life when you shouldn't have bothered me ! The word '_Apocalypse_' usually starts with a 'A', but for you, we gonna change the rules : it will start by a N...N like Nobita ! DID YOU HEAR THAT ? I'm coming for ya ! And thanks for enraging me, it will be much more amusing that way !''

Taikan (furiously) : ''ENOUGH TALK, that's too much ; it's the last time you act out and taunt me like this ! You gonna PAY for that !''

Nobita (teasing) : ''Sorry, but all your guys I met told me the same, so my purse is empty !''

Taikan : ''...''

Nobita : ''What a bad player ! He hung up !...It's quite annoying to assume the role of the Kind of the World while you can't bear a ''slight'' frustration...It looks exactly like me in a few years...but with less crazed murderous folly !''

Although he rants and threatens Nobita, Taikan can't do one earthly thing nor make any decision, as everything goes out of his control. His complex is so huge that he would need ages to check all the cameras' videotapes to possibly find Nobita. His helpless mind is forced to keep calm if doesn't want to harm himself in a burst of uncontrolled rage. He can only listen to his enemy's words...all while lamenting about having left the conversation first, a sign of weakness that surely won't escape Nobita's attention...

After this explosive conversation between the two heavyweights, who's number 1 common objective is killing each other, Nobita goes back to his work, interrupted by Taikan's call. Thanks to what the mechanical taught him, he successfully turns on a console desk, issues a numeric permissive command in the keyboard shelf to gain access to an holographic virtual interface, using it to reach the complex's security controller and analyze its functioning. Although he hacked it, one can never be too careful !

He keeps an eye on the cameras, still motionless and off. Taikan's engineers still haven't retaken control of the ones in this room, which would make any attempt from him to locate Nobita useless. The latter has more time than he had expected to sort out a few lasts things, like examining some important details, looking into all the wide opportunities available to him to reach Taikan and carrying out a strategic reconnaissance observation of his surrounding environment to anticipate his last actions before his enemy finally regain their advantageous and dominant position over Nobita :

He is inside a white curved round-shaped room, infested with a dozen cameras, motion detectors, cognitive-captors-equipped sensors and razor-sharp anti-intrusion security laser. He also notices that the room he's currently in is directly under the control of the terrorists' Leader, along with some key sectors of the base. If the system worked correctly, Nobita would have already been cut into pieces and smashed to bloody smithereens against the walls.

Even if he proves able to definitely neutralize the whole base system, this place shall remain spared and operational. If he gets cornered in there, he won't have any chance to run away. It would not be advisable to spend more time here ; he's got to hurry.

Yet, he still lingers on...

And while Taikan helplessly puts himself out to regain control, constantly slowed down by his own anger outbreaks, Nobita's face is disfigured by an evil nasty grin of spite, and he starts to laugh evilly, like he has just found the most atrocious way to punish his former torturer. He knows that Taikan can sulk and give him the cold shoulder as long as he wants, but he's still spying him with utmost care, using all the humanly possible ways, despite the fact that he has no visual of him. Nobita hopes the latter feels not reassured by this sudden change of behavior !

And it's exactly the case ! He successfully made him fret, as anxious as a kid having an oral exam in front of the class, feeling like he's going to be sentenced to death penalty...And as if he has already had enough of trouble, he remembers that from now one, the time Police is aware of his activities, betrayed by Nobita, and is coming to stop him ; his enemy isn't alone anymore...Nobita's attempts to unsettle him are fruitful once again, since an undermined Taikan recontacts him all of a sudden, betting the naughty kid is plotting another nasty trick for him, willing to (try to) stop it :

Nobita (shrieking): ''Gosh, it's gonna be awesome !''

Taikan (destabilized) : ''What could make you happy that much ?''

Nobita : ''You're back ? The little baby calmed down and stopped freaking out ? So, you give me the bill so that I can 'pay' you for what I did, like you yelled it at me before ? Or will you forfeit the game and admit defeat ?''

Taikan rushed a bit too much, precipitated by his fear, and he proves enable to answer back. Fortunately for him, the engineers he previously sent packing had just succeeded in thwarting the virus's progression and definitely expelled it using a wifi connexion to connect to Taikan's terminal. He accidentally finds it out while praising his recent actions to justify his failures in a laudatory way and talking to himself in glowing terms, an eulogistic rain of self-raves supposed to fill his heart with his egg-centric self-esteem to perk himself up. But it's far from being enough to replace a real acclaim from a truly honest person !

The word 'perfect' goes out of his mouth toward himself more than often, and it happens to be the password for him to regain access to the mind-controlled Artificial intelligence. Once he has located Nobita's position, without thinking over his possible secret attempts to trap him, he chooses his most 'terrific' sentences, the darkest evil smirk comes into his face, and he finally gives Nobita his rebuttal :

Taikan : ''I've just retaken control ; I know exactly where you are, and I can expel you to the Land of the Dead just by snapping one finger !''

Nobita : ''Well done, 'bout time ! Ya know, the advantage of knowing how to hack a network is that you can come upon very useful informations...And I hit the jackpot ! I can't defeat you...But I've just figured out a way, THE good, the ultimate excellent way to screw your plans up in one hit ! I can feel the eagerness in your heart from here ; Wanna see ?...Oh, by the way, you CAN 'T snap ONE finger...Just to remind you, HEHEHE !''

Taikan gets to the heart of the matter, urged by the pressure of the incoming police forces who are now back to hunting him. Each minute counts, but he lets his anger invade him :

Taikan (flying into a blind rage) : ''Who do you think you are ? You DO NOT control anything here !''

Nobita : ''Are you sure ? Then what do you think about THAT ?''

Nobita sets off the C4 charge he previously stuck to the central shield and power-supply generator in the factory sector from a good enough distance to run no risk :

The whole base core explodes. The detonation triggers off a gigantic complex-wide earthquake that throws everyone on the floor and cause a generalized massive panic among the survivors. Taikan falls from his seat and knocks his head against the corner of his computer, that he smashes violently in a reaction of pain.

The high-bolted attachment joints from the armored doors are screwed out, the high voltage diodes supplying power to gravity elevator are destroyed, causing them to collapse, and scintillating sparks burst out from every electronic devices, short-circuited one by one. The lights flickers, going on and off like the emergency alarm was pounded. Some static electricity interferences and a strident racket scramble the loudspeakers and every sound machine. The alarms are triggered, then cease to emit...

The colossal earth-shaking shock-wave blows up the windows, and the whole machinery livening the place is brutally shut off. In the explosion epicenter, an incredibly powerful blast instantly grinds everything around with an unbelievable strength, squeezing even the most resistant materials, crushing men and robots down, staving in the reinforced wall, tearing off everything including the floor coating, and triggers the collapse of the major part of the central base under tones of rubbles.

On the surface, the explosion has the same effects as an old abandoned underground mining gallery caving in, and results in the subsidence of the ground, digging an enormous chasm that gobble up and engulfs the plant installations built on the surface.

In the more distant zones of the complex, the most instable places, weakened by the human/robot conflict partly fall down, the already fissured walls become more cracked and crumble, the furniture and technological installations are shaken upside down. The fractured canalizations release a mass of flash flooding water, devastating entire areas. The wide chaos causes a stir that force the fighting robots and humans to form a truce and run for their life.

All has become like a volcano is erupting in the middle of the base...

Taikan (panicked) : ''What..*scrambling*...have you done ? What's that shaking nois...''

Nobita : ''The sound of your pride falling to the ground ! And...Hey, are you here ? Crap ! For once I had something funny to say ! Dammit !''

With the whole base's defense system taken out, the power-supply unplugged, the security doors automatically looked up from inside by the firefight detectors' activation...and Taikan's plans dashed, everyone, including the Terrorist Leader, is now prisoners as Nobita, cooped up in their own nightmares, having a brief description of what their future in jail will feels like...for those who shall survive Nobita's wrath !

The shock wave is so powerful that it spreads miles away around the hypocenter and can be felt 'till Tokyo's central business district. Even Nobita's living and birthplace quarter is slightly shaken, letting his inhabitants feels the great power that the weakest of them gained. But as Earthquakes are daily frequent events in this country, no one pays real attention, because the real source of worries is somewhere else...and a much more destructive Earthwide tremor, unheralded and bursting out of the blue, to bring a world to his knees, facing its doom, is '_scheduled_' to occur in the incoming days !

But will even someone knows about what is actually happening...and who are behind this ?

Taikan is still in control of his head-quarters, thanks to an effective independent emergency generator, and his bunker-like personal room, confined between thick reinforced-concrete-made walls that even a million tones of TNT couldn't even scratch. The engineers worked to death to bring back the security systems, or at least what's left of it, in Taikan's hands. Using his thought-commanding widget that grants him psychic control over everything still working inside the base, he sweeps all the pictures recorded by the cameras, swiftly checks the state of each room, hallway, storeroom and each place situated in the zones apart from the affected perimeter around the explosion epicenter, where the time-communicating relay room Nobita took under his control was built...

Guessing that no damages were caused in all the regions Nobita haven't visited yet, Taikan browses in the peripheral areas to the center and detects Nobita's thermal signature at the time-communicating relay room.

And as he watches the room's inside white-dominated colors, he recognizes one of the special places where he had some traps for Nobita set and improvised, in the context of his unexpected decision to play this morbid game with him. He also notices something the makes his eyes pop out of his head, so glad to see a true miracle occurring and turning the situation to his advantage : the traps in question haven't been forestalled ; Nobita may not even have noticed them !

The only thing left is now to retake control of them, which would need no more time than one or two minutes...

Taikan (grinning and talking to himself) : ''You shoulda stayed home, you flabby skank ! Nobody gets in there without the boss sayin' so ! Did you hear that ?...Oh, I'm stupid, there's nobody in there...Anyway, maybe you're a freaking alien using a flesh carcass to look like a human because you enjoy being full of imperfections, or a sarcastic fat ass who takes himself for a big boss just to forget the knock-down he got from his girl's friend, who's heart is committing suicide...But whatever, your spare time is over ! I'm going to rip your brain out, use it to drink my beers 'till I decide to play gulf with it ! […] YUK! I hope you don't have to say that every time you want to look persuasive !''

On his side, the trouble-making super-hero kid notices, at the very last moment, that there are still many more prisoners. Some of them, among those he set free previously, the slowest of them, who still haven't made their way out of the complex..But also other innocent former employees hold captives in secret places that were not indicated elsewhere. Nobita's 'coach', Toshio, that brought him in there, was obviously unaware about several things...

Nobita knows it's too late for him to get out of here alive, and realizes that he may have involuntary killed those prisoners of they had been imprisoned near the factory sectors. But it's not too late for them, as the Police is going to come to the rescue from one moment to the next.

Nobita decides to make a dangerous decision : he's going to contact Toshio, who he thinks is now probably gone far away and in a safe place, to ask him to evacuate the remaining freed prisoners and extract the others still hold captives...

Toshio (distraught and panicked) : ''But, What's the matter with you ? What the...What are you doing ? They are going to detect y...''

Nobita : ''Hey, calm down, amigo ! I'm quite happy to hear the sound of your voice again too !''

Toshio : ''But...They will locate your position if you start a radio conversation with me, they have a security beacon, independent from the central system !''

Nobita : ''Don't you get a bloody thing about what's going on here ? It's been ages since they found out !''

Toshio : ''I do...But I've become detectable now as well !''

Nobita : ''No, they can't...not yet ! According to my now-complete security network analyze, they still haven't regained control of the room I'm currently in ; they can only see and hear me...that's the only thing to interest them in me ! They've just realized that I knew about their game, and that I knew that they didn't knew that I know about their game...''

Toshio (confused) : ''Hmm...what ?''

Nobita : ''Forget it...And do not worry, I can't have trouble as long as this stupid modesty-apprentice ''Lord'' wants to play with my life, even if I must admit I didn't appreciate the trick I played on him ! When he finally decides to get rid of me once for all, I'll be allowed to panic !''

Unfortunately for him, the chief leader is no fully controlling the place and instantly orders the blockage of the doors leading in and out the relay room, trapping Nobita inside. And on top of it, both Toshio and Nobita hear the ear-splitting sound of an odorless and colorless gas being introduced and released all around him :

Toshio (worried) : ''What's going on ?''

Nobita : ''Taikan is taking care of me...He retook control of the zone ! Hurry Toshio, have those poor guys evacuated ! Once done, if there's not any sign of life from me anymore...DESTROY THAT HELLISH PLACE !''

Toshio (overwhelmed) : ''Nooo, wait, how can I evacuate them ? And what about you...''

Nobita : ''There's no other choice ! They have enough mass destruction weapons in there for World War Three ! And if all the hallucinogenic gas they made and stocked here is released in the air, we will need to lock up half of Humanity in a psychiatric asylum ! […] We will see each other latter...or in Paradise !''

Toshio (feeling overtaker) : ''But I don't control the...''

Nobita : ''DO IT, and stop complaining ! You put me there and I managed to stay alive and fight them off so far ! So it's not too much asked !''

Tosiho : ''But...what about you ? I'm not going to let you at the mercy of those psychopaths who traded their brains for a limitless aggressiveness ! I want you to get out of here ALIVE, not shredded in tatters !''

Nobita : ''I'll FIGHT ! I'm maybe bad and rubbish to society, but I refuse to be a vulgar trophy that somebody wins in a competition ; if Taikan wants me, then he will have to come and get me ! That base is probably the biggest stupidity and meanness bastion on Earth ; it's the perfect place to finish my last days !''

Toshio (almost begging) : ''Noooo, please, you don't deserve that ! The danger is too...''

Nobita : ''Danger ? Imma fry it and eat it for dinner, tonight !''

Toshio : ''I feel bad about forcing you to get in this shit ; this is not made for you ; you deserve better th...''

Nobita (serious) : ''I don't, and I can handle this ; I've felt out of my depth from the very beginning ; I was doomed to fail ! Yet, I did it and saved those prisoners' lives, including yours ! I need to go on ! […] Sorry Toshio, I have to finish what I started...and redeem myself !''

Toshio : ''NOOOO NOBITAAA !...*scrambling*''

The contact is cut, as Nobita throws his radio on the floor to break it for once, drying a tear of sorrow and deep pain streaming down his cheeks from his filled-with-guilt eyes. He lowers his head, pats his chest to feel his heart beating like a demon is eating him alive.

He takes a look at the roof, imagines the sky above him and forcing through the roof to come and grab him, like he is finally ready to go...

The only thing left is to bring off his last task as he swore the world he would, as he promised himself to...then leaving without turning back !

This resignation doesn't prevent him from thinking at full speed over a way to possibly escape once. But the invisible gas is there and he's cornered. He won't survive this time and he must hurry if he wants to give a last chance to the Time Police to achieve what he started and failed to do ; stopping the threat that will destroy the world !

He types on the touches of a keyboard from a command panel as fast as he can, but his efforts to activate to block the gas inlet prove useless. He doesn't know how to activate the base's distress beacon to send out an SOS call through time, basing on the fact that it exists, or even how to trigger the base's self-destruction program.

The only thing he can find is an odd device shaped like thermal goggles, able to foresee the events that are about to happen in a close future. But knowing himself, Nobita would prefer not to yield to the temptation of predicting how he's going to die, to know everything in advance like he always wanted to...

However, despite his resignation, he doesn't have the intention to leave it now : he feels some heat around his feet and down his legs ; the only perceptible trace of the gas, in addition to its whistling sound. This dense gaseous substance is scattering on the floor, and slowly rising up. Nobita looks up, gain momentum and successfully jumps up, hanging on a big pipe suspended about one meter from the roof. He ultimately musters all his will, keeps his chin up and lifts himself to reach the top of the pipe with all his strengths he's got in his arms.

As he has now a general view of the entire room, he sees a small closed trapdoor on the floor he didn't notice before. It looks resistant and explosion-proof, but Nobita is far from running out of ideas : he leaps onto the pipe, over and over again, hammering and pounding repetitively with his sturdy feet as powerfully as he can, to weaken the pipe as much as possible.

Nobita (thinking) : ''Damn;..If that burden clodhopper Gian were here, it would be much easier !...Oh, I'm sorry my friend ; I should say kinder things in my last words !''

He then grabs the grenade hooked on his belt, that he previously picked up on the guard he knocked out before entering the room, takes the pin out of the grenade and throws it toward the end of the pipe, near the wall. He jumps off and takes shelter under a desk.

The detonation damages a portion of the pipe, before the latter crumples. The opposite end of the pipe falls straight on the trapdoor and breaks it down, before the whole pipe completely collapses on the floor and starts to roll along, following the slight natural inclination angle of the room's ground, removing the end of the pipe that was sunk into the entrance of the trapdoor, blocking it off.

Nobita's new opportunity to flee and stay alive for a longer moment renews his hopes. He holds his breath and is about to sneak into the escape tunnel, when he starts to hear some rhythmic and cadenced footstep sounds : at least a dozen of men are approaching ; it's going to be quite difficult to avoid capture, and his strengths are slowly abandoning him. Fleeing without a good plan would be futile and vain...But he's got no time to make up a plan !

He searches in his magic pocket for something that could help him out, and pulls out a gas-mask-looking gadget, in fact a firmness, thickness and consistence analyzer for any known material recorded in the gadget's database.

And this precise function allows him to get some interesting details about the gas's composition, which happens to be the same than the one which almost made him fly off the handle and lose control of himself in the factory. He recognizes the same "numbers and data" in the mask's miniature screen than the ones shown in the holographic HUD from his former armor during his 'first contact' with the gas.

He draws the conclusion that this attack used against him isn't lethal and deduces that the main objective is to neutralize him, revealing Taikan's intention to keep him alive.

Nobita has been searching for an occasion to 'meet' with his enemy in person, and this is now or never that he must let himself being captured to get in front of Taikan. Though he's running a big risk, he cannot hold his breath any longer and the gas is already leaking into the tunnel he would use to escape...

Once the last of his doubt is gone, he opens his mouth, gasps for air and let the gas seep in his lungs. He suddenly feels like sleeping, some scotoma appears in his vision, troubled by a blurred colorful filter and he catches a brief sign of some armed soldier shadows moving toward him in a cloud of green gas formed by its blending with the oxygen, sneaking in when the soldiers unlocked the doors and rushed in.

Nobita has a dizzy spell, swaying and bumbling around, drops his gun and magic pocket on the floor. His eyes water, and he feels more and more dizzy and unbalanced. Some blood starts to bleed from his nostrils, his eyes' optic retina starts to fizz and his pupils are dilated. His troubled senses leave him deaf and blind...before he finally faints and collapses on the ground, asleep and neutralized...

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


	18. See You In Heaven !

**Chapter 18 : See You In Heaven !**

**[...Meanwhile, at Nobita's School...]**

The waiting time is long, palpable, harrowing, nerve-racking and particularly terrible for the fifth grader school children class, the one Nobita used to belong to. Each one is waiting eagerly for the teacher, Sensei, to come in, still having a serious heated discussion between him and a police officer in the hallway. Tension can be felt in the way to express themselves, a sign that something grave and preoccupying is going on. The class would usually resound with the students' chitchatting, but the perturbed children are very agitated and worried about those troubling events and remains as silent as a priest during a burial.

Outside the building, in the neighboring nearby streets marking out the school's playground, the revolving beacon lights from the police forces' cars twinkle in the darkness of this dreary and rainy day, with an oppressively threatening, stormy and stifling weather, ready to violently unleash the power of a dreadful hurricane and swamp the whole country under waves of sadness and fear. A burdensome atmosphere in the air, the clouds gathering above the skyscrapers, feeling like a gloomy autumn announcing a cold winter, is settling way ahead of its time. In this period of warming spring, Mother Nature should make the world shine and fill Man's heart with a kindly and warming heat.

Beside the playground's entrance gates, near the police officers, several persons are standing there, visibly in tears and panicked. Some pupils in the class watch them through the windows and recognize them as some of their classmates' parents. They are taken under the care of a psychological support crisis unit. Nobody feels quite reassured...

Sensei finally enters the classroom, looking serious and dumbfounded, marching in step, his face wrinkled with the sadness of a soldier going forth to battle. He drops off his bag on the floor, turns to his pupils, take a deep breath to ease his shaking, trembling inside like a politician addressing a mod of bawling infuriated men. He shares some terrible news with them, trying to anticipate how he's going to try to hearten his young students :

Sensei : "All right, kids...Brace yourself and be strong ; what I've got to tell you is a serious matter that concerns you all. I think that now, at this time, you're all aware of this dramatic hostage-taking assault on the stock exchange building of our poor wounded city. But what I'm about to announce you will hurt, it's hard for me to say those words to you, and it'll be even harder to hear...As you must have already noticed it, some of your classmates aren't here today...If, by some mischance, the situation goes awry and things go wrong, they may not be coming back, ever !''

He stops talking for a moment, as he takes notice of the children's frightened looks, quaking with fear and worrying themselves sick. The major part of them already unconsciously know what it means, but refuse to admit it. Just the very idea of it is already unbearable to them :

Sensei (indecisive) : "Ta...Takeshi Goda, Suneo Honekawa and Shizuka Minamoto, three of your classmates, are part of the unfortunate hostages held prisoners in the hands of those vile terrorists, and their lives are in jeopardy. H...However, I want to reassure you that the Police Forces are on the spot, and get the situation under control. They will get them out of there, and do their uttermost to...''

Hidetoshi (interrupting) : ''They do not ! You say that to calm us down, like you said before ! You want to ease our fear that it might end tragically, but we all know that everything has gone wrong, there ! Nobody's controling anything !''

An embarrassed and visibly ill-at-ease Sensei throws a quizzical glance at the policeman waiting for the end of his speech, resting against the classroom's partially-opened doors, begging for help and support. The latter is here to maintain order, support vulnerable persons affected by the hostage-taking attack and ensure that everyone remains calm and do not succumb to panic. But he nods him and gives Sensei the green light to reveal his pupils the truth about what's actually going on and to be totally sincere with them, hurried and tired of always being forced to lie, in order to temporally reassure someone who already knows the truth :

Sensei : ''To be quite frank with you Hidetoshi, this event is awful, I can't stand it ! And I cannot even imagine how unbearable it must be for you, to spend each second, one by one, thinking that it may be their last seconds of life, at any moment...But making a drama out of it won't help ! You have to be strong, prove how brave you are, and show that the terror choking us on this cursed day that it won't grip our hearts nor dominate us ! Our prayers will chase the darkness surrounding us...Yes, I know, what I'm saying is totally stupid, nonsensical and a simplistic bunch of fixed stereotypes...But I'm running out of ideas to comfort ya all, kids ! I know I can't convince you that staying calm is the only option we have, but unfortunately, this is not the only bad news !''

Haruo (another schoolboy) : "Oh, what again ?"

Sensei (put-out) : "Your courageous classmates who were captured...They didn't find themselves trapped there for some random reasons. They were searching for...the one who used to occupy the fourth, so desperately empty seat in this class..."

Hidetoshi : "You...talkin' 'bout Nobita-san ?"

Sensei : "Indeed. Nobita Nobi. Nob...N..."

Hidetoshi : "Sensei ? Are you alr..?''

Sensei (drying a tear) : "Yes, I'm alright, thank you, Dekisugi ! No, I'm just...Oh dammit, I better tell you now !''

Feeling more and more worried, fearful, bewildered and fretted, the students anxiously watch their teacher pulling out a sheet of paper from one of the drawers from his desk. It's visibly the photocopy of a letter he was given some time beforehand. They have never seen him in such a state of intense sadness, almost guilty, with regards to the one who used to be the favorite target of his scolding...as well as the students' mocking and teasing. His attempt to set the pupil at ease starts badly, as things look more and more iffy and uncertain.

But they quickly understand the how and the why when Sensei starts to read the letter's content out loud, in a solemn way, using his most tragic tone, tainted with a profound disbelief. His inability to grasp the seriousness of the hearth-breaking words he's trying to pronounce without stuttering shows that he feels deeply pained. His shifty eyes try to escape the pupils' unsettled gazes, as it has become too hard to read the whole letter...

In the class, an dreadful mortuary silence prevails ; an incredibly oppressive and heavy atmosphere overwhelms everyone. A general unease settles when each pupil realizes that this harrowing farewell letter was written by Nobita himself. Many of them remember how they were all more or less informed about Nobita's preoccupying predicament, through his former friends who are now trapped in the stock exchange. They looked mortified during their last coming at school, like awkwardly trying to hide a secret, impossible to reveal. They were looking for him before being taken hostages !

Guilt, incomprehension and sorrow make their way to everyone's broken heart. Some are close to tears, many others feeling like vomiting to the point of fainting. Each averted eye fixes Nobita's former seat with a nostalgic and saddened look, at the back of the class, by the window, where their former, ill-starred classmate used to lean, dreaming and confined in a sphere of silence and loneliness, to his teacher's disappointment, dozing off when he wasn't sent to stand by the classroom door for a long period of time...He is not here no more, and never coming back !

And it's partly because of what he's been through in this class, the bitter pain of his repetitive academic failures, his stormy and heated relations with his classmates, who rarely shew him the least true sign of friendship and open-mindedness...He could already have left this world, his body hanging from a string, or becoming waterlogged in the sea bottom ? Or maybe, he still hasn't acted out yet, leaving a small chance to save him left ?

Nobody could have imagined that Nobita's discontentment of life was so intense, that he would live his daily hardships so badly, affecting him at the point of rejecting his own dignity, neglect his own existence, despise his own nature, and deliberately attempt to get out of his life. What kind of ordeal would be horrible enough to resort to such a desperate measure ? How could he hide what he felt so well ? And didn't anyone notice anything nor senses that he was in danger ?

Whatever it may be, times are hard for everyone. But the weakest of them won't probably live through it...

Sensei vainly tries to restore hope ; maybe someone is still willing to listen to his unpleasant-hearing words. But when he helplessly sees a shell-shocked Hidetoshi bursting into tears and dashing off the classroom, going as far as jostling the policeman blocking him off, he understands that there's nothing to be done any longer. He feels himself stretched, crushed under the heavy strain of all those sad events accumulating over and over again. Poor Hidetoshi didn't bear to be mentioned in Nobita's letter as his '_model and perfect example of successful man_', whereas he thought Nobita saw him as his one-sided proclaimed eternal rival. Half of the class is weeping openly ; the other half struggling not to lose it as well...

Sensei finally decides to release his classroom, knowing his course cannot be delivered as the situation doesn't really lend itself to it. Each student leaves the class in a rush, eager to back into their home sweet home and forget about these doubly awful two tragedies among their families.

Hidetoshi remains on his own, surrounded by curious and worried kids but lonely in his mind. But this horde of shocked and angered children besieging him quickly regains his attention. They all want to do something, and consider Hidetoshi as the one best able to lead them.

The latter gets up at the instigation of a ray of hope lighting his heart. Hidetoshi is well-known for being the class-leading talented genius and the embodiment of success in all its forms, while he never actually displayed those skills in real life and put them into practice.

And if he's got the motivation to save a friend, it's now or never : he furiously waves his hands up in the air to call out to his fellows who aren't on their way back home yet, and gather them all next to him. They are all captivated and have a heated and inflamed conversation about what they have to do.

The only idea of going to the rescue of their endangered friends seems obvious. But what can they do but staying away from the building housing the stock exchange and do nothing but thinking and praying ? The access to this zone is forbidden, even the neighboring roads are closed off, and a potentially lethal danger awaits for anyone, even the most courageous ones, attempting to sneak in...

Hidetoshi does his best to lower the temperature and calm passions among some of his classmates getting mixed up and confusing real life with action movies, and successfully convinces everyone to keep quiet and spend more time on thinking over a good and feasible plan than arguing. It contrasts with the way he previously ran away from the classroom, showing he summoned up enough energy to pull himself together and keep a flame of hope burning in his heart.

Hidetoshi : ''Our prayers are the only form of support we show to Gian, Suneo et Shizuka. Let's face the truth : we can't do anything for 'em ! But there's still Nobita, basing on the supposition that his heart is still beating. He's the only one we can help now !''

Hidetoshi : ''I'm not sure about it...In his letter, Nobita clearly mentioned Doraemon as being back to his time ; I suppose they quarreled and fell out...If Doraemon is still with Nobita, then he's safe and alive, but we should already know about it ! So I guess they're still separated and Nobita is in danger ! And Doraemon is nowhere to be found, and we won't be able to reach him if he actually went back to the future. His gadgets would certainly help us in our researches...But I think we're alone now, just like Nobita !"

Abaraya : ''Then I'll do anything to find and rescue him !''

Everybody turns over to see whose that voice, familiar to some of them, is...Abaraya-kun is standing up behind them, lifting up his head, looking determined. He's from the class next to Hidetoshi's, and almost nobody knows that he was friend with Nobita, nor that the latter went to drop off a box full of money in front of his door, although no one on Earth but Nobita himself knows the reason why. The box in question was anonymous, but Abaraya, who has got no other friends, senses that this unsigned gift was the doing of his now lost-and-wanted friend...

Abaraya, however, doesn't look radiant, visibly in-ill-health and having a big cold, pale-faced, white-cheeked and trembling. Sensei allowed him to leave his class in advance because he didn't look fine, before Sensei himself decided to cancel his course and release the pupils. It's been three days since he was exceptionally transferred into Nobita's former class, as his parents could not afford to fund his participation in a field trip.

Nobita was last seen in school the day he was welcomed to his new temporary class, and his attempts to approach Nobita were cut short when the latter disappeared. And his intuition warned him that his friend was probably in a predicament. He stayed outside waiting to see the others' reactions, discreetly overheard their conversations, unfortunately giving reason to his fears, and makes the decision to get into the ''Nobita rescue team'' formed by Hidetoshi and his pals :

Hidetoshi : ''Are you..Abaraya-kun ?''

Abaraya : ''That's me. So, I've just heard you wanted to go looking for Nobita-san ?''

Haruo : ''Well, we don't know where he is !''

Abaraya : ''That's exactly the reason why I'm asking you if you want to LOOK FOR him !''

Hidetoshi : ''Yes, we gonna search for him, we'd never forgive ourselves if something bad happened to him ! Right, guys ?''

The other kids : ''Yeah, let's go !''

Sensei : ''Hey, wait a second !''

At this moment, they see the teacher running toward them and stop beside Abaraya, exhausted by his '_race_' to get up after them before they leave :

Sensei (gasping) : ''Uff...I'm too old for that, not for my age ! *Gasp* Just in time ! You won't go anywhere ! [...everybody stares at him with a god-smacked expression...] Not without me !''

Everybody smiles and laughs, reassured and encouraged by their own teacher's participation in their rescue efforts :

Sensei : ''I'm coming too, I want to see that kid in my class again ! I think I'll have to talk with him...''

Hidetoshi : ''Are you going to...scold him ?''

Sensei : ''That's absolutely the last thing I'm thinking about now ! This is partly my fault if he ended up like this !''

Abaraya : ''I'm coming along with you !''

Sensei : ''No, Ichiro ! You better go back home and rest, you need to relax and cure yourself back to a good health, you look so...''

Abaraya : ''Not my problem, I have a more urgent thing to do now !''

Sensei (angry) : ''Now, listen to me, you...''

Abaraya (even more angry) : ''NO, YOU listen to me ! All my life I've been living miserably, in a miserable house with miserable scores at school, and no friend to cheer me up...Until I meet Nobita : he was the only one able to understand me, he wouldn't care about me being a poor kid, nobody else was ever as friendly and kindly to me as he was, he'd not care about my situation, he liked me...and I love him too !

If he dies, I think I'll die too, he was...he was the only one able of making me feel like something else than a simple garbage in that goddamn school and that freaking bad society of ****** !''

Sensei : ''Ichiro, you're traumatized, calm down ! But getting angry and yelling won't hel...''

Abaraya (upset) : ''Just like you did with Nobita-kun ?''

Sensei reste muet, incapable de répondre...

Abaraya : ''It's because of you and your everlasting scolding that he felt like this ! He thought he was rubbish because nobody cared for him, nobody ever gave him praise or even some respect ! You always yelled at him and HE was traumatized ! And every kid in that class just...abused and took advantage of his weakness and need for affection to better undermine and break him down behind his back ! Who is that child to you, a bad loser that makes feel sorry, but that everybody bores and teases by pretending that he loves him ? […]

When someone needs Nobita's help, he pretends to be his friend, but then...the friendship falls flat and he ends up being bullied, mocked at and rejected again like nothing happened ! Only a coward would use someone's flaws to better break him down ! [...] And even I, didn't give him the help he actually needed to survive in that law-of-the-jungle-ruled society !

But I never ever tried to abuse his kindness...ever ! You all disgust me ! [...] And you know what ? Three days ago, he put a box full of money just behind my door, he sacrificed all he had just...for me ! He took the time to do it for me, while he had no reason to !''

Everybody's feeling shocked and doesn't know the best thing to say ; they were totally unaware of this secret good deed from Nobita, as well as Abaraya's harsh living conditions and suffering in his relationships...just like they ignored Nobita's problems and pain too ! Although Hidetoshi, who clearly nods in agreement and agrees to let Abaraya in, knew about Nobita's relations with Abaraya, he still ignored this unrevealed action as well, he feels all the more surprised :

Sensei & Hidetoshi : ''...Wait, we didn't intend to...''

Abaraya (pained scream) : ''SHUT UP ! Don't talk to me again !'', he yells in a loud voice, raising his head and frowning with a killer look...

''He helped me so much before, I have a debt to pay...and even if I hadn't, he's my friend, my best ever...and only one. All these things don't bode well to me, and the outlook is bleak, but I still got hope...Just like what Nobita did when he found out that I was the poorest guy ever ; he hung on and successfully found a way to have the greatest Christmas Party ever despite our differences. He saw and shew interest in the friend, the human being in me. Not the rich or the poor, the reserved or the open-minded, the elegantly-dressed or tatters wearer, the size and content of my purse […].

But now it's about his own life, which is endangered ! So, I AM going to look for him, for my ill-fated lost friend, whatever it costs and whatever you like it or not […].

So now, out of my way, I'm leaving !'', he cries out while walking ahead...

They all watch him running away from the school's playground, standing around like they were all struck by a freezing spell, absorbing the shock of what they've just learned.

Sensei : ''Abaraya-san, don't g...don't go on your own...Wait for us !''

Everybody is now on the way to find their former lost classmate, dearly regretting all the regrettable depressing events that occurred between them and Nobita, hoping that he shall stay alive to give them the occasion to make amends.

If only Nobita knew that a whole class went to search for him...

**[...Back to Nobita's point of view...]**

Two black arcs of a circle move aside and let the light touch Nobita's eyes. His upper and downer eyelids open wide, meaning he's finally regaining consciousness and waking up.

His first reaction is to take a brief look at the surrounding environment, but the strange and bucolic atmosphere captivates him and he can't help extending his observation time :

He is in the middle of a beautiful countryside scenery, teeming with life, bright and colorful verdant spaces everywhere, shinning flowers, pleasant and peaceful greenery, flowered scintillating broad-leaved trees, pure, clear, crystalline and limpid water rivers dripping in-between the leafy hills and luxuriant exotic forests...

Behind him stand sumptuous little fairy round-shaped thatch-roof houses, stone-covered neon-lighted arks, marble-made domes covered many pools and sparkling-water fountains, medieval-styled fantasy castles and giant spiraled abstract-styled octopus-like cities-covered structures overlapping in the air above the ground villages and piercing through the multicolored clouds. All is bathed in the warming sunlight rays, including the various on-stilts palaces with Asian bas-relief-covered facades and velvet-made ornaments, above a turquoise and azure-colored lagoon, which's fauna and flora is as incredibly diversified as The Great Barrier Reef.

Far away is a granite and gold-made mounting with amazing boiling magma flows falling along pouring down in a spectacular cascade, an out-of-the-way freakish lava-lamp-like tower on the volcano's top and an uncanny outlying vine-made bridge surrounding the mountain's pierced-with-caves flanks. The plain white snow on the mountaintop shines with the brightness of a thousand flames. Far away, the dawn-colored horizon is a sign of a second sunrise, as the colors of the illuminated part of two giant planets, visible trough the atmosphere, range from deep red to orange and yellow.

On Nobita's right, toward the south, beyond the end of a chalky cliff covered with purple algae and purple lichens, the clean and serene sky resounds with the humming of some astounding swarms of reddish bees, and the singing and cooing sounds from some huge flocks of flying russet birds, stretching away as far as Nobita's eyes can see.

The sky is filled with pink cirrus clouds looking like cotton-wool, milk forth cumulus and winged easter eggs wearing silk-made cloaks, jumping over the clouds. The sky's blue color reminds Nobita of his pajama he used to wear when he went to bed and would always throw away in a hurry, each morning school, after being awakened and stirred from his dreams with Shizuka, by Doraemon and his angry Mom, knowing he would be late for school again.

This graceful, alluring and charming architecture seems like the Land of Plenty, a splendid concert of colors and a true Heaven Nobita would willingly immerse himself in and settle in. But his attention is drawn by an ochre-colored stairs, which's treads are made of paving slabs and edged with an odd vegetation of magic plants, with fireflies all over, dazzling lightning bugs flying between blossoming flowers' stems, and angel statues, gazing at Nobita with watchful eyes, a kindly smile and indicating the good direction to follow :

A gorgeous, sightly and wondrous Greco-Roman-styled temple on a big cloud, looking creamy with the sun shining above it.

Nobita doesn't really know what he's doing here, even though he's got his own idea about it. He climbs the stairs at full speed, like an innocent and curious little kid comes out to play and make new fascinating discoveries. But he takes the time to enjoy the vast and calm ocean that lies under his feet, as the stairs is in fact a narrow bridge over a several-hundred-meters-deep abyss. He listens to the sounds of tides, changing almost every minute, and the foams from the waves washing diamond sea stars up on the rocky shores and jumping-shingle beaches, where thousand varieties of trees from all over the world grow […].

As an oblivious and carefree Nobita reaches the temple, not even wondering how he can walk on a cloud, he takes pleasure in contemplating the resplendent gardens, and gazing upon the marble-made columns, studded with emerald flowers.

Nobita walks toward a wax-wood-made door marking the entry of the temple? And as he jumps over a tiny stream, he can see his reflection in the mirror-like water : his skin is light, sweet like a toddler, all cleaned up, with no traces of wounds or dirt left...And he wears a gentleman suit, a chic silvered blazer with glow-in-the-dark gold buttons, a bow tie and a nice hairstyle.

There's no doubts about it : he's got style ! This is probably what he would be looking like everyday if he were Suneo.

But something actually bothers and disturbs him more and more : all of this looks strangely perfect, artificial, and his whole body feels like it was coated with a thousand tones of makeup. And when he sees the water pouring from the nearby fountain turning into a water-made model of himself, and hears his own voice welcoming and telling him to enter the temple through an energy portal, while he could just open the door as well...he comes to the conclusion that there's something fishy going on !

Someone is obviously waiting for him, and he doesn't like very much, especially as he starts to remember what happened just before he finds himself in this fake-looking paradise.

But he decides to let himself be led and follows the voice's directives. A vivid light flash leaves him blinds for a few seconds, and when his eyes are able to distinguish what's around him again, he realizes that he has ended up in a completely white room ! There is light everywhere, and not the least sign of shadow...And he doesn't even feel his own body ! From now on, he wears a silky and smooth-to-the-touch white toga with red stripes, and gray sandals.

He's got a bad feeling about this, notices a wooden chair in front of him, looking like the one he used to sit down on in his bedroom, on the rare occasions when he felt the motivation to study hard and do his homework...

Once settled in the chair, he hears what sounds to be a door slamming. A blurred shadow appears in a gray fog cloud further away, comes closer and turns into a walking old man with a long beard, dressed in the get-up than Nobita, with a laurel-leaf-made crown on his head and a bright aureole above him. The man smiles in delight with a serene expression, holds out his arms to him and talks to Nobita with a reassuring tone :

God (tender) : ''Welcome among us, young Angel ! I'm God, and you're in Heaven !''

Nobita (incredulously) : ''I...beg your pardon ?''

God : ''This is the typical kind of reaction that a new soul has at the beginning ! But don't worry, it's all over now ! Death brought you here and took you home to be with your heavenly father, for a well-deserved eternal rest !''

Nobita : ''Err...So, I'm...actually dead ? Hmm...I was quite expecting it ! Please excuse my curiosity, but aren't I supposed to have wings on my back ?''

God (laughing) : ''You don't have to ! What you thought as a mere mortal, what you saw in churches, what religions taught you doesn't exactly corresponds to what Heaven and the Holy Spirits...and everything related to what a mere human mind cannot grasp actually looks like ! […] But anyway, I'd like to ask you a question : what brings you here ? It's my duty to know EVERYTHING about you ! Dying is a dreadful experience, and I want to comfort you, heal your injuries and restore happiness in your heart ! All the bad feelings are out of place here !''

Nobita doesn't react immediately...He feels doubtful and distrustful. The expression on God's face doesn't look as watchful as it looked when he first saw him, as seems more like a mask transplanted on his face. But Nobita doesn't have enough informations to make the difference between the true and the false. If what he's leaving turns out to be true, then he already feels disappointed that he still remember his former life and his vision of himself is still as resentful as before !

He answers God's question without further delay or hesitating :

Nobita (sad and humble) : ''Ya know what inanity and silliness are ? Then it was me, as a mortal. A down-on-his-luck bloody idiot and ridiculous loser, who wasted everything he had, brought shame on himself and his relatives, disgraced forever ! My name could be 'Naughtita Nobi', it would fit me well ! […].

I remember the number of times (I stopped counting them) I cried like a spoiled baby, and pitifully ridiculed myself, throwing myself disgracefully at the feet of Doraemon, begging him to save me from the troubles I got myself into, and flinging abuse at him everytime he would refuse ! And...''

But he's abruptly interrupted by God, who's facial expression reflects a feeling of impatience and weariness, that he awkwardly tries to hide, and it naturally arouses Nobita's curiosity, as he seems to have developed an advanced senses of observation :

God : ''Yes, yes, this is awful, really aaaaaaaaaaaawful, my child ! I personally want to tell you that...I'm sorry, but we now have eternity to fix that and heal your wounds ! Come to me, my little sweetheart ! ***Cough*** The Shepherd will comfort the lost sheep, feed it...you with the seeds of love and rebirth, give you mercy, forgive all your mistakes and sins, praise your good deeds, restore the joie-de-vivre your soul lost, nurse your broken heart, banish all your suffering and wash your torments away !''

Nobita is rather surprised by God's words. Strangely, they do not soothe and hearten him the way they are supposed to. But since he never lived that during his short life, he lets himself being held tight, closing his eyes...But he feels like he's being dragged along into something he doesn't like, and that he and God are only '_stuck together_', like he's locked in a cold embrace :

God : ''Well, my child ! Now, relate me the wonderful story of your life ! ***Cough* **Tell me what you di...lived before your 'ascent' among us ! Come on, little angel ! Don't be afraid, don't you have anything to tell me, your friend and affectionate protector ? You have no reason to be shy, no one will threaten or hurt you anymore ! An eternal life of happiness is waiting for you !''

Nobita : ''I booted the word 'happiness' out of my vocabulary a long time ago...But if you want to know how I died, then I was killed...by a gas...'', he says pretending that he doesn't remember his former life...

God (holding him tight) : ''Well, veeeeeeeeeeery well ! Let your words come out and release your pain !''

Nobita : ''In fact, it was because of those terrorists ! They wanted to kill many innocent people, so I defied them, and successfully defeated them by calling the Time Police in time ! They may have taken my life, they won't hurt anyone else no more !''

God (plastering a fake pale smile on his face) : ''It sure was imprudent and dangerous, but the sacrifice of your life will save millions of other lives ! Your faith in yourself allowed you to accomplish incredible...things ! This is the reason why I created Humanity, for Man to learn how to believe in himself ! I'm so proud of you !''

Nobita feels a weird sensation deep inside, like a warning beacon is flickering in his mind, an alarming sound ringing out, to alert him of an incoming danger...

Nobita : ''T..Thank you !''

God : ''You're welcome, young Angel ! Don't worry, we will all take good care of you !''

Nobita : ''If you say so...Tell me, ...Well, I mean 'My Lord'...Could you do me a favor ?''

God (hesitating and obviously not expecting this) : ''...Which o...As much as you want, I mean !''

Nobita : ''Can I see my Grandma ?''

God doesn't know what to answer, and Nobita notices a tiny sweat drop rolling down his face...

God : ''I promise you will ! But you...first have to...Err...listen to my best greetings and wishes...as I did it with all the souls who came before you...to savor their eternal rest ! [...He wipes the sweat off...] Oh, my little boy, I feel so proud ! Even I, cannot help those tears from falling ! Your wonderful heart, pure and innocent, makes me feel so glad that I could create such a fantastic being !'', he says trying to justify his stammering.

''All your actions were of unparalleled nobility, greatness and dignity ! You must have been a very courageous and cunning boy to think it would stop them...Well I mean, to be able to accomplish what you've done !''

Nobita : ''Well, I did what my heart told me to do ; I do not regret anything !''

God : ''Listening to your heart was what I expected from you ! You are as brave as those Policemen you called to the rescue !''

Nobita : ''Let's just hope they will overcome this terrorist threat once for all !''

God : ''I'm sure they will ! You managed to call them in time, right ?''

Nobita (étonné) : ''Yes, I d...''

Nobita suddenly shuts his mouth while responding, and stands still and mute for a few second. He takes advantages of these few seconds of complete silence to listen to God's heart, which is beating surprisingly fast. And as he takes a brief look at God's face, he notices a weird expression of both excitation and dashed hope, a distinctive reaction frompeople who strongly expected something with eagerness, but are eventually disappointed at the very last moment.

Nobita fends God off and pushes him away, while getting away from his grasp and walking at a good reasonable distance from him :

God (frightened) : ''But, what's wrong with you, my child ? Why this violent reaction all of a sudden ?''

Nobita frowns, gets a bit closer and clenches his fists. A destabilized and intimidated God steps back :

Nobita : ''Don't be afraid, you are God, nothing scares you, right ?...You know, when I fought against those morons, I already knew they were recreants and stupid wusses, led by a faint-hearted quitter, a yellow-bellied milquetoast...But now, I'm even more impressed ! The level of cowardliness is reaching an unprecedented peak ! You band of wimps, you must be bottoming out ! You do not even have the courage to say things to my face, you prefer to try to treacherously manipulate me in my own dreams ! […].

Da hell is that ? You want to get me to venerate you ? You want to make a fool of me, just for the heck of it !''

God (panicked) : ''But what are you talking about ? You're mistaken, and...''

Nobita : ''Shut your big _'Holy Mouth'_ ! And it's worthless to insist, I unmasked you ! I almost got tricked by your little comedy during the first few seconds, but you quickly reared your ugly head ! Your game is over, God ! Or, I should say...Mr. Terrorist Leader !''

God : ''HOW...?''

Nobita (pointing him out) : ''I'm not very good at history or religious education, but isn't God supposed to know everything ? Why do you waste your tome extorting me information if you already have them ? […] And, you said the _'Shepperd'_ would help the _'lost sheep'_ I am to gain his _'joie-de-vivre' _back, that is to say the pleasure I take in LIVING...while I'm DEAD ?''

God (looking desperate) : ''What the... !''

Nobita : ''And besides, you look extremely...hurried ! But we have eternity now, haven't we ? And for that matter, I've never seen someone who's supposed to bring comfort and joy talking with just a disgusted voice !...Not to mention to door sound I heard when you first came […].

I'm NOT in Heaven, but in a kind of parallel dimension, or something like that ! Or maybe in a film studio, though I don't know who on Earth could enjoy a movie starring a 10-year-old loser as the main character, and featuring an army of rattlebrains who are not even born yet, and came from the future to learn how to get their asses kicked by a kid who still pees his pants sometimes ! […].

It's only a mise-en-scene ; Congratulation for the setting and scenery, it's a great success ! But everything else sucks ! Your acting skills are grotty, pathetic and as risible as can be...and I forgot my autograph notebook at home ! […].

If you want to win a reward for the worst acting performance, you won't face any competition !''

Taikan knows from this moment that his masquerade isn't of any use no more, and reveals his true dark nature by turning into...what he looks like in reality !

Taikan (angry) : ''Congratulation, you found out my weak point : I'm too indulgent with troublemakers like you ! I wanted to use the 'soft way' to make you talk, but obviously, only violence, threat and merciless treatments are dissuasive and harsh enough to bring to heel rebellious unruly whippersnappers like you, and submit them to your will and wrest their entire cooperation ! I should have listened to my instinct...''

Nobita : ''Like you did before ? No, seriously, after all you went through and had to endure because of me, after all those times I turned your own plans against you and used many elaborate, sophisticated and highly-developed dirty tricks (without undue immodesty), to repeatedly thwart your even more complex plans time and again, one by one, with only a gun, my weak frail body, a dim-witted twisted mind, a bit luck and some functioning neurons which work more for my brain than for my ego...After all these surprising situation turnarounds, you STILL take me for a FOOL ? Crap man, when will you finally deal with the consequences of your multiple mistakes and admit that you will need to make up more intelligent and less predictable ways to defeat me once for all ? What the hell do you want from me ?''

Taikan (stern and authoritarian tone) : ''I want to know what, or I just say WHEN you contacted the Time Police ! There, is it clear enough ?''

Nobita (appalled) : ''You...Still haven't figured it out ?''

Taikan (outraged) : ''No, I haven't, since you have the bad habit of hacking everything you touch, triggering chaos all around you, cover your track and put up a smokescreen over each information concerning you ! We wouldn't even know about your traitorous and cowardly contact with the Police if you hadn't told us about it ! So, when you did it...that's a different kettle of fish !''

Nobita slaps his own forehead and covers his eyes shamefully with his hands, as he doesn't really believe what he has just heard...

Taikan : ''I know, you must be wondering why I'm spontaneously revealing you my, so '_foreseeable_' next decisions and actions like you said, giving confidential informations to the one that shouldn't know about it and foiling my own plans stupidly again, right ? Simply because you are entirely submitted to me, strapped down in an experimental cell. I can introduce whatever I want in your mind, like a virus to slowly make you rot from inside and reduce your soul to a dumb hollow shell ! You cannot escape and you belong to me ! […]

So, back to this information I want to possess : you gonna kindly and willfully give it me ! And remember that I hold control of your mind...And creating nightmares is my favorite sport ! […]

You may already know that a spatiotemporal field protects us from the evil outside, right ? I personally installed this time-blocking shield around the base following your flunked attempt to contact the police of your time ! I remember laughing so hard after this ridiculously funny effort fell flat ! I wish I would have been there, seeing your face and how you reacted when your attempt came to naught and you realized that you were TRAPPED and REJECTED by your own allies !''

Nobita (unimpressed) : ''Those were not my allies, just some incompetent morons...And being rejected is part of my daily life ! And I wish I would have been here when you found out that I had double-crossed you, seeing your face and how you reacted when it went belly-up ! It still gets stuck in your throat, right ?''

Taikan : ''Button up and stop gossiping ! As I say before your horriblly high-pitched voice interrupts me, this shield slows down every conversation through time and considerably increases the transfer time needed for the message to reach its recipient ; it last for a minimum period of 24h ! What I want to know right now is if you contacted the Police during your hacking in the Boiler room or if your data transmission to the Time Patrol you completed before blowing up my generator, a sample of which sent to my terminal, was your first contact ! […]

The Boiler room 'incidents' occurred almost a day ago, since it took me much more time that expected to find the access for my brain-controller to enter, explore and dominate your mind ! There was something resistant blocking it off, we don't know what it was...

You sure are a mysterious man full of secrets, with many, usually uncharted parts of your cerebrum working and generating amazing capacities and skills no one could learn, handle and master that easily !''

Nobita wonders what it could possibly mean : is that another trick from his vicious enemy ? Or is the terrorist leader finally having a moment of honest and revealing a truth Nobita wasn't aware of ?

He remembers both his excursion in the magic world during one of his hallucinations and the experiences Toshio said he carried out on him, to turn him into Superman...Everything points out the potential veracity of those revelations !

Taikan : ''If you contacted the Police at the boiler room, it's quite...troublesome for me, since there's now less than an hour left before your SOS call finally reaches the Time Police ! The fulfillment of my quest would become quite complicated and unsure, though still possible. But I still have some hours left to follow through my objectives, execute my plans, achieve my goal and bring it to fruition, if your first contact dates back from just before your capture ! […]

So, is my cute little child going to satisfy his God's desire and give the answer he wants to hear ?''

Nobita : ''You are not my God and this is not the information you want to know, well that you are willing to accept, but only the truth ! If you want to know when I first warned the Police, then just know that after hacking your system with the Mechanical, I could contact a friend of mine, infiltrated in your base, without fear of being detected for both of us, and he explained me how to establish a time contact...And like any self-respecting spy, he was well-informed and told me about your much-vaunted shield, deducing it was a defensive reaction to my missed attempt to make contact with an outside element. And indeed, I knew it would need at least 24h to get a response, whatever it would be ! […].

At this rate, I had the time to climb the Tokyo Tower, to strip naked and go eating a home-cooked Raclette on the top of Mt. Fuji, coming down with a big cold, then coming back in your complex and having an indigestion for stuffing myself with your stodgy automatic distributor food ! […].

So, I took the decision to make contact immediately after your surveillance power was cut off, then wondering throughout the complex and doing my best to stay alive and distract your man as long as possible ! And I had plenty of ideas to keep your eyes focused on me, in case you would have regained control earlier than anticipated ! And you can be sure that encumbering you with more troubles and hampering your dark schemes was a pure pleasure !

Taikan's wide-open eyes shows a horrible expression of terror, his heart riddled with frustration, and his face scarred by an intense hatred. He now holds the confirmation that the Police is on its way, and that they can appear at any time.

Taikan (struggling to hold his rage) : ''SO...you haven't contacted the Time Patrol at the moment when you sent your 'video sample' to my terminal ? When you snuck in the Time-communicating Relay Room ?''

Nobita : ''Of course, not ! I did it much time prior to that ! I got in this Time-commin...thing, stuff, whatsit, or whatever because I needed to call them again, in a place from where I could contact anyone I wanted, in any period of time in History or in the future. And since you were, at this moment, progressively retaking control, I had to speed it up ! So I went to a place that wouldn't require your approval to generate a time-contact, since it was the official network, and the only one allowed to work not only for you, but for all the bases, and wouldn't need you around ! It was a place I would not need to hack...and it was a LIVE transmission ! […].

The Boiler Room relay wasn't secured, unstable, slow and a hand-made botched devise, not connected to the base's main bandwidth, nor any other frequency. So, it wasn't very efficient. With this new contact through the official relay, I resent a new SOS. I even had the brass neck to inform them of all I had learned and discovered in the meantime, like your various skulduggeries, modified gadgets traffics, your secret army...and a lot of precious data indicating the locations of your secret bases all around the globe. I personally enjoyed your idea to built iceberg-shaped ships in your Antarctica base, it was an original concept ! I almost feel shameful for denouncing it to the cops !''

Taikan glares at Nobita with a despairing look, angered at Nobita. But somehow, he was expecting such a bad news, and knows that Nobita's actions are irreversible and beyond recall. But his ego still dictates him his ways to behave, and he keeps fixing Nobita with a dominative murderous look :

Nobita : ''And since I spent many hours roaming in your goddamn base, making a fuss, cause a big mess, not to mention all the time you spent doing many absurd things with my body and knocking about with my mind...I think it's too late now ! Time flew by and the 24-hour-delay has elapsed ; reinforcements are on their way ! […].

Yes my friend, it would have been much simpler to cut off from all foreign communications ! But you must keep contact with your men at the stock exchange, it obliged you to remain vulnerable ! […].

You are really unlucky : I've been stupid all my life, and you could have used me as your defenseless toy whenever you wanted ! But you add me to your enemy list on the day when I finally get a brand-new brain ! You should have eliminated me at the earliest opportunity ! If I stay alive, I will always remember you as the '_Might-have-been Collector'_ !''

Taikan : ''You...There's something wrong about it : if you've already informed them, if the cops are now aware of what's going on here, about our plans, about the where, the when, the what, the why, the how...Why haven't they launched their attack ? It should have been instantaneous !''

Nobita : ''Mind your own business ! I'm not telling you more about it ; that's enough !''

Nobita did it on purpose ! His refusal to go further and tell the whole story is supposed to make Taikan believe that he doesn't know how to prove what he said, and come to the conclusion that Nobita lies from the beginning. This would make Taikan even more confused. Nobita voluntarily erased the communication history session and deleted every compromising files about his communication with the Time Police, before being captured. And since Taikan often tends to underestimate his enemies, the latter could think that Nobita never actually had the occasion, nor the needed technical competences to establish a time-contact.

It fails, as Taikan has learned from Nobita's dirty tricks and still thinks that he was able to do it. But he ignores the reason why the Police haven't launched a head-on attack on the complex right away :

Nobita knows that Taikan can control the bomb from his HQ, and even a strike attack won't be fast enough to prevent him from detonating it as a last rampart against the Police...what would make this attack more dangerous than the terrorists themselves as they are now ! Nobita will have to take upon himself if he wants to pull it off flawlessly, a clean and net action without burrs.

Nobita walks ahead to Taikan, who's got butterflies in his stomach and still has to live his previous defeats down. He shoots him a black look and bellows with an icily tone :

Nobita : ''One last thing...The next time you went to have a chat, figuring that there will be a next time, stop bawling on your own, come nose to nose with me, and express yourself like a big boy who's not afraid to say what he has to say, in front of me ! […].

Ya got something to ask me ? Then get the hell out of your seat and go directly asking me ! I have a mouth that I can use to answer you and, if needed, to brush you off ! It will be much better than improvising a low-quality nonsensical theater play, based on a throwaway script written on toilet paper, that could fit into a tiny postage stamp !''

Taikan : ''I will...KILL YOU !''

Nobta : ''At LAST !''

Taikan (raging mad) : ''Very well...''

Taikan clicks his fingers while the two adversaries stare at each other...until Nobita suddenly passes out, again...

**[…]**

**To be continued !**


End file.
